n 


W,J.  Erdman 


An  Outline  Study  of  the  Gospel 
According  to  John 


ihxavy  of  t:he  CheoIo0ical  ^etninarjo 

PRINCETON  .  NEW  JERSEY 

FROM  THE  LIBRARY  OF 
ROBERT  ELLIOTT  SPEER 

.d.LGG 


An  Outline  Study 

of  the 

Gospel 
According  to  John 


W.  J.  ERDMAN 

Germantown,  Pa. 


An  Outline  Study 

of  the 

Gospel   According  to  John. 


THEME: 

JESUS  THE  CHRIST 

THE    SON    OF    GOD: 
LIFE    IN    HIS    NAME 

THROUGH    FAITH. 


PRINCIPLE  OF  STRUCTURE: 

**  I  came  forth  from  the  Father; 
and  am  come  into  the  world; 
again,  I  leave  the  world, 
and  go  to  the  Father." 

John  i6:  28. 


To  be  obtained  from 

the  Author  and  Booksellers. 

Pricey  twenty-five  cents, 

postpaid. 


Printed  by  James  M.  Armstrong, 
718  Sansom  Street,  Philadelphia,  Pa. 


FOREWORD. 


The  following  study  is  intended  to  aid  in  the  understanding 
of  the  Gospel  of  John  by  means  of  an  Analysis  and  Notes 
which  however  brief  may  still  be  suggestive  and  interpreting. 

If  any  fresh  light  should  fall  upon  familiar  words  of  this 
marvellous  Scripture,  the  writer  will  feel  abundantly  rewarded, 
knowing  full  well  that  it  is  all  due  to  the  Spirit  of  Truth  of 
whom  Jesus  said  :  "He  shall  glorify  Me." 


INTRODUCTION. 


The  Gospel  of  John  is  a  record  of  the  Testimony  to  the 
divine-human  Personality  of  Jesus  Christ. 

The  intent  of  the  Testimony  is  both  to  beget  faith  and  to 
confirm  it,  for  it  was  written  for  those  who  already  believed. 

Through  faith  "the  Life  in  the  Name  of  the  Son  of  God" 
becomes  an  ever-increasing  possession.  The  Life  is  said  to  be 
in  His  Name,  even  in  Himself  as  fully  made  known. 

By  faith  He  is  received  and  made  manifest  in  "the  fruit  of 
the  Spirit"  and  in  likeness  to  Himself. 

The  source  of  the  testimony  is  first  of  all  in  the  signs  Jesus 
did.  In  this  Gospel  the  miracles  are  always  called  signs;  they 
indicated  the  presence  of  One,  they  pointed  to  One  Who  was 
Himself  the  Sign  of  the  presence  of  God  in  the  world;  and 
because  of  this  great  fact  not  the  miracles  only  attested  that 
Jesus  is  the  Christ,  the  Son  of  God,  but  all  He  said  and  did,  all 
the  titles  He  accepted,  all  the  divine  homage  He  affirmed  to 
be  due  to  Him;  in  brief,  the  revealed  contents  of  a  unique 
consciousness,  all  bore  witness  to  One  Who  knew  He  had  come 
from  God  and  was  going  to  God  all  the  while  He  was  in  the 
world. 

In  the  following  Study  of  this  Gospel  the  attention  is  spec- 
ially directed  to  this  consciousmess  of  peculiar  relations  to  the 
Scriptures  of  the  Old  Testament,  to  promise  and  prediction, 
to  the  types  or  "earthly  things"  both  of  the  law  and  of  crea- 
tion, and  to  the  revelation  of  God  as  Father.  Involved  in  all 
are  the  facts  of  human  sin  and  divine  love,  of  propitiation 
and  forgiveness,  and  in  order  that  men  may  not  perish  but 
have  life  eternal  through  faith  in  the  Only  Begotten  Son  of 
God. 

As  we  follow  Him  and  note  what  He  says  and  does  through 
all  the  varied  scenes  of  His  ministry,  His  own  heart's  desire 

s 


is  that  we  should  believe  in  Him  more  and  more  and  have  life 
in  us  more  abundantly. 

Before  taking  up  such  study,  attention  is  first  called  to  cer- 
tain great  words  in  this  inspired  record  which  tell  us  what 
He  is. 

I.  "In  Him  was  Life ;"  life  natural,  life  spiritual,  life  eter- 
nal ;  all  the  principles  and  manifestations  of  life  in  mind  and 
matter,  in  spirit  and  nature.  Did  God  of  old  speak  a  word 
only,  and  life  of  every  form  and  kind  came  forth,  so  now  ap- 
pears One  who  speaks  but  the  word,  and  life  creative  works 
in  the  eyeless  blind,  in  the  corrupted  leper,  in  the  dead  body 
and  in  the  dead  soul.  His  name  can  be  no  other  than  the 
Word  of  Life  which  was  with  God  and  was  God.  Every  realm 
which  death  had  invaded  and  overcome,  He  entered  and  over- 
came death. 

n.  Christ  as  Light  was  the  embodiment  and  manifestation 
of  all  the  elements  of  truth  and  holiness;  He  came,  the  real 
Light,  to  man  as  sinful  and  unholy,  and  in  bondage  to  a  dark 
and  false  nature.  He  reveals  like  light  what  man  is,  and 
wherein  man  is  in  darkness ;  that  is,  without  truth  or  holiness. 
He  also  reveals  what  God  is  and  wherein  God  is ;  in  light  and 
love,  full  of  grace  and  truth,  moving  toward  men  to  make  them 
children  of  light  and  sharers  of  the  divine  love. 

HL  Likewise  to  say,  "God  is  Love,"  is  to  make  known  the 
one  and  same  nature  which  is  made  known  in  the  words  "God 
is  Light;"  both  are  the  outgoings  of  the  one  Life.  To  have 
fellowship  with  the  Father  and  with  the  Son  is  to  share  with 
them  the  one  divine  nature.  It  is  to  be  "of  God,"  a  word 
denoting  origin  and  kind.  Herein  do  we  know  that  we  have 
this  life,  if  we  do  righteousness  as  He  is  righteous*,  and  love 
as  He  loved  in  laying  down  His  life  for  us. 

All  this  Life,  holy  and  good,  is  in  its  sum  and  fullness  all 
the  virtues,  excellencies  and  graces,  all  the  words  of  truth  no 
other  man  spoke,  all  the  works  of  love  no  other  man  did.     It 

6 


is  and  was  and  ever  shall  be  life  and  its  light  and  love;  it  is 
holiness  and  mercy ;  truth  and  grace ;  righteousness  and  good 
ness;  freedom  and  harmony;  the  swiftness  and  joyance,  the 
cleanness  and  quietness  of  light,  its  sweet  gentleness  and 
mighty  power ;  and  it  moves  in  the  beauty  of  holiness,  patient 
and  unwearied  in  giving,  ever  true  and  ever  to  be  trusted,  full 
of  warmth  and  comfort,  healing  in  its  cleansing  touch,  har- 
monious in  its  potent  sway. 

Into  the  world  all  contrary  and  opposed,  dead  and  defiled, 
dark  and  discordant,  yet  in  utter  need  of  this  saving  and  trans- 
forming life,  the  Lord  of  glory  came.  Its  darkness  knew  Him 
not,  and  its  falseness  shrank  from  Him;  its  wisest  and  best 
after  the  flesh  beheld  Him  only  as  a  teacher  come  from  God 
not  knowing  whence  He  came  and  whither  He  was  going,  and 
its  blindest  and  worst  in  envy  and  hate  put  Him  to  death  asi  a 
great  deceiver  of  men. 

But  to  impart  this  divine  nature  and  new  and  holy  life  the 
Prince  of  Life  sufi:"ered  and  died  and  rose  again.  "As  many 
as  received  Him  to  them  gave  He  power  to  become  the  chil- 
dren of  God,  even  to  them  that  believe  on  His  name;  which 
were  born  not  of  blood,  nor  of  the  will  of  the  flesh,  nor  of  the 
will  of  man,  but  of  God."  The  word  is  not,  "to  become  the 
sons  of  God,"  but  the  "children,"  the  born  ones  of  God,  a  word 
implying  nature  and  kind.  "'Sons"  indeed  they  are,  but 
through  redemption,  and  "children"  through  the  new  birth. 
Gal.  4:  5-7;  John  i :  12-13. 

Love  like  God's  flows  from  life  like  God's,  and  righteous- 
ness like  the  Son's  is  the  outgoing  of  life  like  the  Son's.  It 
is  the  thought  of  life  and  nature,  or  birth  and  growth,  of  like- 
ness and  deed,  that  marks  this  Gospel  of  the  Only  Begotten 
of  God.  And  finally  as  He  on  earth  revealed  not  all  the  full- 
ness of  majesty  and  power  belonging  to  Him,  so  they  who 
have  fellowship  in  the  "life  eternal"  with  the  Father  and  with 
the  Son,  however  fainti  and  faulty  its  expression  now  may  be, 
shall  at  last  manifest  it  in  perfection  of  spirit,  sioul  and  body, 
in  power  and  in  love,  in  wisdom  and  in  holiness,  even  in  "the 
liberty  of  the  glory  of  the  Sons  of  God."     "We  know  that 

7 


when  He  shall  appear  we  shall  be  like  Him  for  we  shall  see 
Him  as  He  is." 

IV.  Yet  another  word  is  used  in  this  Gospel  which  stands 
for  all  this  revelation  of  what  God  is  as  Light  and  Love ;  "We 
beheld  His  glory" 

Glory  may  be  defined  as  "manifested  excellence."  Nothing 
unworthy  can  be  glorious.  The  glory  of  God  is  God  made 
manifest  in  all  His  excellencies,  virtues,  attributes ;  He  is  the 
most  excellent  of  all  beings,  He  is  the  most  glorious.  "Doxa 
(glory)  is  the  revelation  of  God  in  the  totality  of  His  at- 
tributes." 

Various  words  like  honor,  beauty,  majesty,  esteem,  praise. 
are  employed  in  the  Scriptures  to  render  the  meaning  of  the 
Hebrew  and  Greek  word  for  "glory."  In  the  Hebrew  it  is 
lelated  to  "weight"  or  what  is  impressive,  dignified,  great, 
most  excellent ;  and  in  the  Greek  to  what  is  esteemed  and 
honored,  to  the  splendid,  bright,  clear  (clarus,  gloria),  to  the 
best,  the  subject  of  praise  or  boasting.  The  two  ideas  of 
weight  and  glory  are  combined  in  the  passage  "The  far  more 
exceeding  and  eternal  weight  of  glory."  The  symbol  of* the 
glory  of  God  in  nature  is  the  sun ;  in  the  Scriptures,  the  Glory 
of  the  Cloud  of  the  Tabernacle,  with  its  surpassing  splendor 
and  majesty.  To  the  Hebrew  mind  the  Cloud  and  the  Glory 
became  thoroughly  identified  with  the  presence  of  God ;  the 
Glory  became  the  name  of  Jehovah,  its  synonym  and  symbol. 

All  this  Jesus  was  in  the  world  when  He  tabernacled  among 
men ;  the  Life  as  Light  and  Love,  full  of  grace  and  truth. 

As  "goodness"  or  grace  Jehovah  made  "His  glory  pass"  be- 
fore Moses  when  he  represented  Israel  with  its  covenant 
broken  as  an  unworthy  and  altogether  guilty  people ;  Ex.  33 : 
13;  34-  7'>  as  holiness  to  Isaiah  representing  Israel  as  an  un- 
clean people;  Is.  6:  1-13;  and  as  Hfe  to  Ezekiel  representing 
Israel  as  a  dead,  dismembered  people ;  and  these  three,  life, 
holiness,  grace,  are  seen  in  one  complete  manifestation  when 
in  a  later  day  the  Only  Begotten  Son  came  to  the  same  peo- 
ple unworthy,  unholy,  dead,  in  order  to  quicken,  purify  and 
bless. 


All  of  God  once  not  fully  and  clearly  known  is  now  seen 
in  Him.  To  glorify  God  was  to  make  Grod  known  in  His  in- 
most being,  and  for  the  Son  of  Man  to  be  glorified  was  to 
bring  to  light  all  the  riches  of  grace  and  truth  in  Him  on  earth 
and  after  the  work  on  earth  was  finished,  all  the  riches  of  glory 
in  heaven.  He  could  say  when  His  hour  had  come :  "Now  is 
the  Son  of  Man  glorified,  and  God  is  glorified  in  Him.  If  God 
be  glorified  in  Him,  God  shall  also  glorify  Him  in  Himself,  and 
shall  straightway  glorify  Him."  Only  He  could  utter  such 
marvelous  words,  who  a  few  moments  later  prayed :  "And 
now  O  Father,  glorify  Thou  Me  with  Thine  own  self  with  the 
glory  which  I  had  with  Thee  before  the  world  was." 

V.  And  especially  was  it  the  object  of  the  Mission  of  the 
Son  to  declare  the  name  of  God  as  Father.  This  great  truth 
was  the  completion  and  culmination  of  all  hitherto  taught  in 
the  Old  Testament  concerning  God. 

With  it  came  into  clearest  light  the  fact  of  personality.  Not 
vague  notions  of  the  divine  fatherhood  are  made  to  float 
through  the  minds  of  men  with  whom  Jesus  had  to  do. 

Not  principles  in  opposition  are  portrayed,  but  persons  are 
seen  face  to  face ;  natures  are  made  manifest. 

In  the  dark  background  of  each  scene  of  opposition  to  the 
Son  of  God  moves  in  mystery  the  Evil  One  whose  works  the 
Son  of  God  came  to  destroy.  All  is  personal,  all  is  respon- 
sible, and  all  is  moving  to  a  crisis,  but  all,  too,  is  decided  by 
its  relation  to  the  Son  of  God  whether  in  Him  and  for  Him 
or  without  Him  and  against  Him. 

Express  is  the  contrast  between  "spirit"  and  "flesh,"  be- 
tween God  and  "the  world,"  between  the  Son  of  God  and  the 
devil.  The  best  of  men  after  the  flesh  must  begin  again  as  if 
they  never  had  been,  being  born  from  above,  born  of  the 
Spirit,  born  of  God ;  coming  whence  and  going  whither  no  one 
after  the  flesh  can  tell. 

Throughout  this  Gospel  then,  Jesus  the  Christ  as  the  Only 
Begotten  of  the  Father,  the  Light  which  coming  into  the  world 
lighteth  every  man,  is  presented  to  men  their  Life  and  their 

9 


Salvation ;  and  by  His  "signs,"  even  by  words  which  none 
other  man  ever  spoke  and  by  works  which  none  other  man 
ever  did,  must  men  discover  who  He  is,  and  the  Father  through 
Him. 

As  the  Word  all  things  become  through  Him;  as  the  Life 
all  things  live  in  Him ;  as  the  Son  in  Him  the  Father  is  seen 
as  Light  is  seen  in  Light ;  as  the  Prophet  He  is  the  personal 
Revealer  of  God,  speaking  for  God  to  men  but  Himself  being 
the  Word  of  all  divine  words;  as  the  Witness  of  the  words 
and  works  of  God  He  is  the  ever-beholding  and  ever-rehears- 
ing One ;  and  as  the  Sent  One  of  the  Father,  He  is  the  Light  of 
Light,  Love  of  Love,  the  Apostle  of  Grace  and  Truth. 

In  brief  over  this  Gospel  of  His  self  revelation  might  be 
written,  I  am  that  I  am  ;  I  know  who  I  am.  All  this  Scrip- 
ture is  of  person  and  nature,  of  the  divine  person,  the  divine 
nature,  the  life  eternal. 

In  the  early  Church  in  what  seems  to  be  a  hymn  of  the 
Spirit,  is  heard  a  fitting  confession  of  the  greatness  of  this 
mystery  of  godliness,  which  moves  through  the  scenes  of  the 
Gospel  of  John  in  veiled  splendor : 

"God  was  manifested  in  tFie  flesh, 
"Justified  in  the  spirit, 
"Seen  of  angels, 
"Preached  among  the  nations 
"Believed  on  In  the  world 
"Received  up  in  glory."  I  Tim.  3:  16. 

VI.  In  passing,  a  verbal  peculiarity  is  worthy  of  note.  By  the 
use  of  verbs  and  participles  instead  of  kindred  nouns  it  is  in- 
timated that  we  may  learn  who  Jesus  is  by  what  H'e  said  and 
did. 

Verbs  of  being  and  existence  tell  of  Him  the  I  AM,  the 
Life;  verbs  of  knowledge  speak  of  Him  the  Word  living  and 
inworking,  piercing  and  disclosing ;  and  verbs  of  love  utter  the 
glad  tidings  of  what  God  is  in  grace.  The  verb  "give"  in  this 
Gospel  of  the  grace  of  God  is  found  seventy-two  times;  the 


noun  but  once,  "If  thou  knewest  the  gift  of  God;"  by  such 
manifold  giving  men  are  to  learn  to  know  the  Giver.  The 
verb  "testify"  is  found  thirty-three  times,  the  impersonal  noun 
"testimony"  fourteen;  but  the  personal  noun  not  at  all.  The 
testimony  must  prove  one  to  be  a  witness  indeed,  and  the  act 
of  witnessing  is  unceasing  and  all  inclusive  of  the  mutual 
knowledge  of  the  Father  and  the  Son.  To  evangelize  and 
herald  is  never  found  in  this  Gospel,  all  is  personal  testifying. 
The  verb  "believe"  or  "trust"  is  found  ninety-seven  times; 
the  noun  "faith"  or  "trust"  not  once,  as  if  believing  were  the 
one  continuous,  uninterrupted  act  of  a  child  of  God.  And 
the  verb  "glorify"  most  fitly  is  used  altogether  of  either  the 
Son  or  the  Father  as  glorifying  each  other;  men  are  said  in 
the  other  Gospels  to  be  glorifying  God,  but  in  this,  God  is 
seen  to  be  glorifying  Himself  as  Father,  Son  and  Holy  Ghost. 

Vn.  The  lines  of  the  Structure  of  this  Gospel  are  easily 
discerned.  Whether  all  readers  would  agree  or  not,  it  cer- 
tainly is  very  evident  that  words  of  motion,  movement,  mis- 
sion, give  to  this  record  of  Him  Who  came  from  God  and, 
again,  went  to  God,  a  characteristic  which  is  most  fully  ex- 
pressed in  these  words: 

"I  came  forth  from  the  Father, 
"And  am  come  into  the  world; 
"Again,  I  leave  the  world, 
"And  go  to  the  Father."  16:  28. 

This  truth  was  stated  on  the  last  night  and  in  His  last  teach- 
ing before  He  suffered ;  it  is  the  completed  statement  and  cli- 
max of  all  of  His  claims;  it  describes  the  vast  circle  of  His 
movement  from  God  to  God.     13 :  1-3. 

As  a  statement  covering  His  whole  career  it  corresponds 
to  the  oi:der  of  thought  and  also  to  the  structure  of  this  Gospel. 
It  speaks  as  to  the  order  of  thought:  i.  Of  the  divine  pre- 
existence  of  Christ  and  of  His  incarnation ;  2.  Of  His  histori- 
cal manifestation  in  the  world,  and,  3.  Of  His  return  to  God. 

II 


John  i6:  28;  i :  14-18;  6;  62;  7:  32-33;  8:  14;  13:  1-3;  i?:  n  I 
20:  17. 

Between  the  Prologue,  i :  1-18,  and  the  Epilogue,  21 :  1-25, 
lies  the  narrative  which  forms  the  body  of  the  Gospel.  This 
is  naturally  divided  into  four  parts.  Over  each  part  in  suc- 
cession may  be  written  as  a  title  one  of  the  four  clauses  of  this 
great  saying.  Through  the  successive  scenes  of  the  historic 
movement  the  testimony  is  cumulative  and  climacteric  that 
we  may  know  and  be  sure  that  this  is  He  Who  came  from 
God  and  went  to  God,  and  is  the  Only  Begotten  Son  in  the 
bosom  of  the  Father  and  He  Who  declared  Him. 

Vni.  A  final  word  as  to  the  Writer  and  Symbol  of  this 
Gospel. 

The  Writer  was  most  rriicetly  John  "the  disciple  whom 
Jesus  loved."  He  was  doubtless  the  first  one  of  the  two  who 
heard  John  the  Baptist  testify,  and  following  Jesus  abode  with 
Him,  and  as  the  first  of  the  brethren  he  fitly  wrote  the  life  of 
the  Firstborn  of  many  brethren ;  and  as  the  one  who  leaned  on 
Jesus'  bosom  he  rehearsed  the  declarations  of  the  Only  Be- 
gotten Son  who  is  in  the  bosom  of  the  Father ;  the  innermost 
learner  made  known  the  innermost  Gospel  of  the  Son  of  God. 

His  name  John  means  the  gift  of  God  and  he  told  of  Jesus 
whom  God  gave,  and  of  the  many  gifts  in  Him. 

He  never  mentions  himself  by  name,  though  all  is  so  per- 
sonal in  his  record,  for  he  would  testify  of  Jesus  and  glorify 
Him  alone ;  so  proving  by  this  self-hiding,  the  Spirit  of  the 
Truth  was  dwelling  in  him  indeed.  Doubtless  out  of  deep 
regard  for  Jesus'  honor  he  forbade  a  stranger  the  casting  out 
of  demons,  and  at  another  time  would  call  down  fire  from 
heaven  upon  an  unfriendly  Samaritan  village.  It  was  he  whose 
eye  anointed  of  love  first  knew  Jesus  as  He  stood  on  the  shore 
of  the  sea  in  the  gray  dawn  when  the  disciples  had  toiled  all 
night  and  caught  nothing;  and  it  was  he.  though  a  "son  of 
thunder"  yet  a  lamb  in  sacrificial  willingness,  who  followed 
Jesus  of  his  own  accord  on  that  same  memorable  morning 
when  Simon  Peter  in  symbolic  act  was  foretold  by  the  Lord 


the  death  he  should  die  to  the  glory  of  God.  In  these  and 
other  incidents  are  found  hints  of  the  fitness  of  "the  beloved 
disciple"  to  rehearse  with  that  deep,  far  look  and  with  words 
right  forth  all  lucid  and  luminous  the  glory  of  the  Only  Be- 
gotten full  of  grace  and  truth. 

The  Symbol  of  this  Gospel  is  the  Cherubic  Eagle,  heaven- 
born,  heaven  ascending,  dwelling  in  high  and  lonely  vision  of 
the  all-illumining  sun. 

"Bird  of  God !  with  boundless  flight 

Soaring  far  beyond  the  height 

Of  the  bard  or  prophet  old; 

Truth  fulfilled,  and  truth  to  be; 

Never  purer  mystery 

Did  a  purer  tongue  unfold." 


«3 


OUTLINE. 


The  Prologue  i :  1-18 — "From  God."  "Into  the  World." 
"To  God." 

Part  I. — i:  19-2:  11.    "From  the  Father." 

Part  11. — 2:  12-12:  50.     "Into  the  World." 

Part  III. — 13-17.    "Leave  the  World." 

Part  IV. — 18-20.     "Go  to  the  Father." 

The  Epilogue — 21 :  1-25.  "With  the  Glory  *  *  before  the 
World  zvas." 


Divisions  and  Sections. 

The  Prologue.     1:  1-18.     Its  Testimony  to  Jesus  Christ  the 
Only  Begotten  Son  of  God. 

I. — "The  Word  was  God."    "With  God."    "From  God."     i : 

1-5. 
2. — "In  the  world."    "Made  flesh."    "Full  of  grace  and  truth." 

1 :  6-17. 
3. — "In  the  bosom  of  the  Father."     i :  18. 

PART  1.     1:19-2:  II.     "From  the  Father" 
The  Testimony  introductory  and  preparatory. 

Sect.  I. — 1 :  19-34.     Of  John  the  Baptist  to  Israel  and  its  rulers. 
Sect.  2. — 2:  35-51.    Of  the  first  five  disciples  of  Jesus. 
Sect.  3. — 3:  i-ii.     Of  the  first  sign  of  the  Glory  of  the  Son  of 
God. 


PART  II.    2:  12;  12-50.    "Into  the  World.'' 

The  Testimony  from  the  day  of  the  manifestation  of  Jesus 
Christ  to  Israel  to  the  Day  of  His  departure  and  hiding 
from  His  unbelieving  people;  or  the  testimony  personal 
and  official,  of  Jesus  the  Christ,  from  the  first  to  the 
last  Passover,  as  the  Prophet,  the  Priest,  the  King,  the 
Only  Begotten  Son  of  God. 

Div.    I. — 2:     12-3:    21.     The    Testimony    to    Jesus    as    the 
*       Prophet.     The  First  Passover.     Jerusalem. 

Sect.  I. — 2:  12-22.  Of  the  cleansing  of  the  Temple;  His  body 
the  "temple"  (naos)  of  the  Glory  of  the  Only  Begotten. 

Sect.  2. — 2:  23-3:  15.  Of  the  interview  with  Nicodemus. 
"He  knew  all  men."    "The  Son  of  Man  who  is  in  heaven." 

Sect.  3. — 3:  16-21.  Of  the  additional  words  corncerning  judg- 
ment and  the  light  and  the  darkness.  "For  *  *  *  jo 
loved." 

Div.  II. — 3:  22;  4-54.  The  Testimony  to  Jesus  the  Christ 
in  Judea,  Samaria  and  Galilee. 

Sect.   I. — 3 :  22-36.     Of  the  last  words  of  John  the  Baptist. 

Judea. 
Sect.  2. — ^4:  1-42.     Of  Jesus  at  Jacob's  well  and  in  Samaria. 
Sect.  3. — /\:  43-54.     Of  Jesus  in  Galilee  in  the  sign  pertinent  to 

the  Gentiles. 

Div.  III. — 5:  1-47.  The  Testimony  to  Jesus  as  God's  own 
Son  on  the  occasion  of  the  sign  of  healing  at  the  pool  of 
Bethesda.     Pentecost.     Jerusalem. 

Sect.  I. — 5:  1-18.  Of  this  third  sign  of  His  Glory,  and  of 
His  claim  of  equality  with  God.  "God  His  own  Father," 
the  first  great  self-revelation. 

Sect.  2. — 5:  19-29.  Of  Jesus  as  equal  with,  and  yet  subor- 
dinate to,  the  Father. 

Sect.  3. — 5:  30-47.  Of  the  four  witnesses  to  Jesus  as  the 
Life  Eternal,  and  of  His  closing  claim  of  Messiahship. 

IS 


Div.  jV. — 6:  1-71.  The  Testimony  to  Jesus  and  His  Glory 
in  relation  to  the  second  Passover,  as  the  Prophet,  the 
Priest. 

Sect.  I. — 6:  1-14.     Of  the  sign  of  the  bread-giving. 
Sect.  2. — 6:  15-21.     Of  the  sign  of  walking  on  the  sea. 
Sect.    3. — 6:    22-71.     Of   the    discourse    in   the    synagogue    of 
Capernaum. 

Div.  V. — 7:  1;  10:  42.  The  continuous  and  culminating 
Testimony  to  Jesus  at  the  Feasts  of  Tabernacles  and 
Dedication,  as  the  Prophet,  the  Priest,  the  Dedicated 
Shepherd,  "the  Man,  Jehovah's  fellow." 

Sect.  I. — 7:  1-8:  II.     Of  the  Feast  of  Tabernacles. 

Sect.  2. — 8:  12-59.  Of  the  discourse  after  the  Feast  of 
Tabernacles ;  "in  the  treasury."  "Before  Abraham  ivas  I  am," 
the  second  great  self-revelation. 

Sect.  3. — 9:  i-io:  42.  Of  the  sign  preluding  that  of  His  dis- 
course to  the  blind  shepherds  of  Israel  concerning  Himself 
as  the  Door  and  the  Good  Shepherd,  and  of  His  essential 
oneness  with  the  Father.  '7  and  my  Father  are  one,"  the 
third  great  self-revelation. 

Div.  VI. — 11:  1-54.  The  Testimony  to  Jesus,  the  Son  of  God 
and  His  Glory  at  the  raising  of  Lazarus.     Bethany. 

Sect.    I. — 11:    1-32.     The    testimony   preparatory   to    the    last 

greatest  sign. 
Sect.  2. — II :  33-44.    The  testimony  at  the  doing  of  the  sign. 
Sect.  3. — II  :  45-54.     The  testimony  of  the  effect  of  the  sign. 

Div.  VII. — 11.  55-12:  50.  The  Testimony  to  Jesus  at  the 
third  Passover,  as  the  Messiah,  the  King,  the  Priest, 
the  Prophet,  the  Son  of  God. 

Sect.  I. — II :  55-12:  19.  Of  the  anointing  and  royal  entry  and 
futile  commandment  of  the  rulers. 

Sect.  2. — 12:  20-36.  Of  the  presence  of  Greeks  as  the  repre- 
sentatives and  earnests  of  a  world-wide  salvation,  while  God 
hides  His  face  from  blinded  Israel. 

Sect.  3. — 12 :  37-50.  Of  the  final  observation  of  John  and  of 
the  summary  of  Jesus. 

16 


PART  III.     13-17  chs.    "Leave  the  World:' 
The  Testimony  to  Jesus,  the  first-born  of  many  brethren 
to  His  chosen  and  tried  and  confessed  disciples  as  He 
is  about  to  go  to  the  Father. 

DIv.  I. — 13:  1. — 15:  16.  The  Testimony  to  Jesus  while 
showing  His  disciples  their  special  relations  both  to 
each  other  and  Himself,  because  of  His  going  to  the 
Father. 

Sect.  I. — 13:  i-ii.  Of  His  consciousness  in  the  feet-wash- 
ing. 

Sect.  2. — 13:  12-20.  The  act  a  perpetual  example  of  mutual 
love  and  humility. 

Sect.  3 — 13:  21-30.  The  sacred  disclosures  concerning  His 
going  to  the  Father  withheld  until  Judas  is  separated  from 
the  company. 

Sect.  4. — 13:  31-38.  The  immediate  and  exultant  announce- 
ment of  His  glorification,  and  of  the  new  commandment  to 
His  disciples,  interrupted  by  the  sudden  question  of  Peter 
and  the  answer  of  Jesus. 

Sect.  5. — 14:  i-ii.  The  second  and  plain  announcement  of  His 
going  to  the  Father,  and  its  object,  interrupted  by  the  ques- 
tionings of  sad  and  bewildered  disciples. 

Sect.  6. — 14:  12-31.  The  announcement  of  the  greater  works 
to  be  done  by  the  disciples  because  of  His  going  to  the 
Father  and  sending  the  Holy  Spirit.  Love,  and  the  keep- 
ing of  Christ's  words,  the  condition  of  the  Spirit's  action; 
the  peace  bestowed  during  the  Lord's  absence;  their  joy 
over  His  presence  with  the  Father;  His  delight  to  do  the 
Father's  will. 

Sect.  7. — 15 :  1-16.  The  parable  of  the  vine  and  the  branches 
illustrating  the  foregoing,  and  the  growth  of  ''the  fruit  of 
the  Spirit." 


Div.  M. — 15:  17-16:  33.  The  Testimony  to  Jesus  in  His 
predictions  of  tiie  world's  treatment  of  His  disciples. 

Sect.  I. — 15:  17;  16:  4.  The  announcement  of  the  unjustifi- 
able hate  of  the  world  toward  disciples  and  Himself,  and  the 
promise  of  the  help  of  the  Spirit  of  Truth. 

Sect.  2. — 16:  5-15.  The  further  and  third  announcement  of 
His  going  to  the  Father,  and  of  its  relation  to  the  coming  of 
the  Comforter. 

Sect.  3. — 16:  16-33.  The  parabolic  reiteration  of  His  going 
to  the  Father  and  its  consequences,  and  the  final  plain 
declaration  whence  He  had  come  and  whither  He  was  going. 

Div.  III. — 17:  1-26. — The  Testimony  to  Jesus  in  the  prayer 
of  intercession;  the  sublime  consciousness  of  being 
equal  with  the  Father  in  power  and  in  glory,  the  reveal- 
ing Word,  the  priestly  intercessor,  the  Kingly  One,  hav- 
ing "power  over  all  flesh,"  the  Giver  of  Life  Eternal. 

Sect.  I. — 17:  1-5.     The  prayer  in  relation  to  the  Son  and  His 

glory. 
Sect.  2. — 17:  6-19.     The  prayer  in  relation  to  the  disciples  in 

the  world. 
Sect.   3. — 17:    20-26.     The   prayer   in    relation   to   the   whole 

church  of  first-bom  sons. 


PART  IV.     18-20  chs.     "Go  to  the  Father." 
The   Testimony  to   Jesus  the   Christ,  the   Son   of  God,  on 
His  going  to  the  Father  through  the  fulfillment  of  type 
and  prediction,  in  Crucifixion  and  Resurrection. 

Div.    I. — 18:    1-19:     16.     The    Testimony    to    Jesus    In    His 
voluntary  surrender  to  "the  princes  of  this  world." 

Sect.  I. — 18:  i-ii.     Before  the  soldiers  in  the  garden. 

Sect.  2. — 18:   12-27.     Before  Caiaphas  and  Israel,  and  of  the 

fulfilled  prediction  concerning  Peter. 
Sect.  3. — 18:  28-19:   16.     Before  Pilate  and  the  world-power. 

power. 

Div.  II.— 19:    17-42.     The  Testimony  to  Jesus  in  the  cruci- 
fixion and  the  burial. 

Sect.  I. — 19:  17-30.  The  unconscious  testimony  of  the  Gen- 
tile world-power,  and  of  the  soldiers  fulfilling  prophecy,  in 
contrast  with  the  serene,  self-conscious  death  of  the  Son  of 
God. 

Sect.  2. — 19:  31-37.  Of  the  unconscious  fulfilment  of  Scrip- 
tures by  the  inconsistently  scrupulous  Jews. 

Sect.  3. — 19 :  38-42.     Of  the  manner  and  place  of  His  burial. 

Div*  III. — 20:   1-31.     The  Testimony  to  Jesus  m  His  resur- 
rection and  the  two  manifestations. 

Sect.  I. — 20:  1-18.  Of  the  fact  and  manner  of  His  resurrec- 
tion, and  in  the  announcement  to  Mary  of  His  ascension  to 
the  Father. 

Sect.  2. — 20:  19-23.  Of  the  first  and  symbolic  manifestation 
to  the  disciples. 

Sect.  3. — 20:  24-29.  Of  the  second  and  symbolic  manifesta- 
tion to  Thomas. 


The  intent  of  this  record  of  the  signs  of  the  Glory  of  Jesus  the 

Christ,  the  Son  of  God.     20:  30,  31. 

19 


21 :   I-2S. 
THE    EPILOGUE. 

"With  the  Glory    *    *      before  the  World  was" 

The  Testimony  of  the  symbolic  third  manifestation  of  the 
glorified  Son  of  God  as  directing  and  allotting  from  out 
of  Unseen  Holiest,  the  service  and  suffering  and  wait- 
ing of  His  church  in  the  world  of  nations  until  He 
comes  again. 

"If  I  will." 
I. — As  to  corporate  service.     21 :  1-14. 
2. — As  to  individual  service  and  suffering.    21 :  15-19- 
3. — As  to  waiting.    21 :  20-23. 

CONCLUSION. 
21 :  24,  25. 
All  the  testimony  of  this  Gospel   is  true,  and  Its  things 
capable  of  ever-increasing  reproduction. 


THE  STUDY  IN  OUTLINE. 


In  every  scene  should  be  sought  the  proofs  of  the  pres- 
ence of  One  Who  claimed  to  be  the  Christ,  the  Son  of  God; 
and  that  there  Is  Life  in  His  Name  for  all  who  believe  In 
Him. 


THE    PROLOGUE.     1:    1-18. 

1.  The  deep  sayings  in  i :  1-5  pertain  to  the  Word  in  rela- 
tion to  God,  and  to  Creation,  and  to  the  World. 

I.    As  to  God.     1 :  1-2. 

In  the  beginning;  therefore  pre-existent. 

"With  God ;"  therefore  a  distinct  Person. 

"Was  God;"  therefore  equal  and  of  the  same  essence. 

"In  the  beginning  with  God ;"  therefore  eternal. 

Christ  is  therefore  all  that  God  is,  was  and  ever  will  be ;  and 
it  is  of  Him  as  such,  of  the  Person  Who  came  and  took  upon 
Himself  our  nature,  that  all  things  in  the  Gospel  are  said;  the 
divine  nature  is  the  first  and  pre-eminent  fact  to  be  kept  in 
mind. 

2.  As  to  Creation,     i  :  3. 
Christ  is  the  Creator  of  all : 
He  is,  therefore,  before  all ; 

He  is,  they  become;  He  was,  they  became;  and  they  be- 
came through  Him. 

3.  As  to  the  World,     i :  4. 

Christ  is  the  Life  of  all,  i.  e.,  the  ground  of  all  that  becomes. 
He  is  the  Light  of  all ;  as  Life  He  is  the  Light  of  men,  i.  e., 
to  man  as  originally  created.  He  is  all  truth,  all  reality,  all 
holiness,  as  against  sin,  unreality,  error  and  falsehood. 

In  relation  to  the  darkness,  i.  e.,  to  men  as  sinful  and  ignor- 
ant, the  Word,  the  Light,  pre-incarnate  and  incarnate  shone  in 
the  darkness,  on  a  ruin.  Gen.  i :  2.  The  darkness  neither 
"took  it  in,"  nor  could  "suppress"  it  altogether ;  some  believed. 


II.  The  successive  statements  from  i :  6  to  i :  i8  correspond 
to  the  four  great  parts  of  the  Gospel,  as  follows : 

1.  The  mission  of  John  the  Baptist  in  i :  6-8  corresponds 
to  his  testimony  in  i :  19-34.  He  consummates  in  himself  as  a 
witness  the  testimony  of  former  prophets  to  the  Word  when 
yet  unincarnate,  in  pointing  now  to  the  Word  incarnate  as  the 
Lamb  of  God,  the  Son  of  God. 

2.  The  entrance  of  the  Light  into  the  world,  i :  9,  receives 
its  full  illustration,  in  i :  35-51.  in  the  Presence  all  illumining, 
all  discovering,  all  manifesting,  and  in  2:  i-ii  as  transfiguring 
and  glorifying. 

3.  The  blindness  of  men  to  the  Lord  of  Glory,  their  rejec- 
tion of  the  incarnate  Word  noted  in  i :  lO-ii  is  attested  in  the 
public  ministry  from  2 :  12  to  12 :  50.  He  was  not  received  by 
His  own  people,  neither  were  His  own  possessions  given  to 
Him. 

4.  The  reception  by  believing  children  of  God  is  seen  in 
fullest  form  in  chs.  13-17. 

5.  The  fulfilment  of  all  given  through  Moses  (i:  17),  is 
found  in  the  grace  and  truth  of  the  antitypical  experiences 
narrated  in  chs.  18-19.  The  "law"  ceremonial  is  there  seen 
giving  way  to  the  permanent  "truth"  or  reality,  and  the  "law" 
moral  to  "grace." 

6.  The  return  of  the  Only  Begotten  to  the  Father  when  the 
personal  revelation  was  finished  in  i :  18  ("that  One  declared 
Him")  is  attested  in  the  mysterious  movement  and  manifes- 
tations in  20 :  1-29. 

7.  And  finally,  the  last  verse  of  the  Prologue  corresponds 
to  the  last  chapter  of  the  Gospel,  the  Epilogue,  for  the  eternal 
being  and  glory  of  the  Only  Begotten  One  with  God,  affirmed 
in  1 :  18  is  illustrated  and  attested  in  the  final  chapter  as  hav- 
ing all  power  in  heaven  and  earth,  ruling,  directing,  controll- 
ing all  events,  persons,  purposes  and  experiences  until  He 
comes  again. 

The  whole  movement  of  the  Word  is  thus  depicted  in 
miniature  from  "the  beginning  with  God"  to  the  being  "in  the 
bosom  of  the  Father;"  but  the  name  "the  Word"  found  only 


in  I  :  I,  14  in  giving  way  to  the  name  "Jesus"  throughout  the 
Gospel  proper,  transfers  and  imparts  to  the  latter  all  its  infinite 
divine  significance  so  that  Jesus  is  none  other  than  the  God- 
Man. 

To  sum  up ;  in  the  Prologue 

1.  God  came,  and  the  natures  divine  and  human  were  united 
in  one  person,  Jesus  Christ,     i :  18. 

2.  The  Creator  of  all  came,     i :  3. 

3.  The  Life  came,     i :  4 ;  5  :  26 ;  6 :  35 ;  11 :  25 ;  14 :  6. 

4.  The  Light  came,     i :  4,  9 ;  3  :  19 ;  8 :  12 ;  9 :  5 ;  12 :  35-46. 

5.  The  Love  came,  Love  as  the  abiding  reason  for  incar- 
nation in  order  to  redemption,  for  that  God  is  Love  is  shown 
not  in  the  goodness  of  God  to  all  in  creation,  but  in  that  "God 
so  loved  the  world  that  He  gave  His  Only  Begotten  Son,  that 
whosoever  believeth  on  Him  should  not  perish  but  have  eternal 
life."    3:  16;  10:  17. 

The  Son  as  one  with  the  Father  is  what  the  Father  is,  Light 
and  Love.  "No  one  has  seen  God  at  any  time:  an  Only  Be- 
gotten God,  the  one  existing  within  the  bosom  of  the  Father, 
He  hath  declared  Him."     i :  18. 

6.  The  Fullness  of  God  as  abiding  grace  and  truth  came, 
in  contrast  with  the  temporary  giving  of  the  law.  i :  14,  16, 
17;  14:  6,  16. 

7.  The  Glory  of  this  divine-human  person  came  and  showed 
forth  itself  in  signs  of  life,  and  knowledge  and  power  from 
the  transfiguration  of  the  water  to  the  resurrection  of  the  dead ; 
not  only  in  the  raising  of  Lazarus,  but  much  more  in  laying 
down  His  life  and  taking  it  again.  "Christ  as  absolute  re- 
demption zvas  pure  grace ;  as  absolute  revelation  pure  truth." 

"This  divine-human  personality  forms  the  basis  of  His 
work,  which  is  the  redemption,  reconciliation  and  reunion  of 
men  with  God." 

"Four  factors  are  necessary  to  the  complete  conception  of 
Christ's  Person:  i.  True  and  proper  deity;  2.  True  and 
proper  humanity;  3.  The  union  of  deity  and  humanity  in  one 
Person :  4.  The  distinction  of  deity  from  humanity  in  the  one 
Person,  so  that  there  be  no  mixture  of  natures," 

23 


1 :  19 — 20:  31. 

ANALYSIS  AND  NOTES  OF  THE  FOUR   PARTS  OF 

THE  GOSPEL. 


PART  L     i:  19 — 2:  II.    "From  the  Father." 
The  Testimony  introductory  and  preparatory  to  the  Public 
iVIinistry. 

Sect.  I. — 1 :  19-34- 
The  Testimony  of  John  the  Baptist  to  Israel  and  its  Rulers. 

John  the  vanishing  Voice  of  Law  and  Prophecy  bears  wit- 
ness to  and  introduces  the  ever-abiding  Word  the  Fulfilment 
and  Reality  of  promise,  type,  prediction. 

The  witness  of  John  is  as  follows :  First  negative,  then  posi- 
tive. 

Negative,  i,  2,  3,  4. 

1.  "Not  the  Messiah,"  therefore  how  "great"  the  Christ 
must  be;  seeing  John  was  "greatest"  of  prophets,     i:  19-20. 

2.  "Not  Elijah,"  therefore  the  grace  and  truth  of  a  suffer- 
ing Messiah  precede  even  Elijah's  coming  before  the  Day  of 
the  Lord,  so  first  revealing  God  in  His  inmost  being  as  Love. 
7:  21. 

3.  "Not  the  Prophet,"  therefore  "the  Prophet"  must  be  the 
Revealing  Word  Himself,  the  perfect  Revelation  of  God.   i :  21. 

4.  And  if  but  a  "Voice"  and  humblest  of  servants  though 
greatest  of  men,  the  Lord  must  be  great  indeed,  and  as  the 
Word  infinitely  great,  for  the  transient,  ever  decreasing  Voice 
can  but  introduce  the  eternal  ever-increasing  Word — and  be 
gone.     1 :  22-28. 

Positive,  5,  6,  7. 

5.  The  "Coming  One"  "was  before"  John ;  his  Chief,  i :  27, 
30;  therefore  the  Chief  of  all  preceding  prophets,  Moses  and 
all. 

24 


6.  "The  Lamb  of  God."  i :  29,  36;  therefore  the  fulfilment 
of  the  whole  sacrificial  Typology  from  the  beginning  of  the 
world. 

7.  The  Baptizer  with  the  Holy  Spirit,  i :  33 ;  therefore 
one  with  Jehovah.  Num.  12:  25;  Joel  2:  27-28;  Is.  44:  2-3,  And 
so  the  conclusion  must  be  "this  is  the  Son  of  God."     i :  34. 

This  One  could  be  no  other.  The  testimony  closes  in  a  cli- 
■max. 

Sect.  2.— i:  35-51. 
The  Testimony  of  John  leads  the  first  two  disciples  to  Jesus 
and  is  confirmed  in  the  memorable  interviews  of  Christ 
with  the  five  disciples  first  gathered. 

1.  John  again  testifies  Jesus  is  the  Lamb  of  God.     i :  35-37. 

2.  He  is  the  "Rabbi"  indeed  all  knowing,     i :  38,  42,  48. 

3.  Jesus  accepts  the  declaration  that  He  is  the  Christ,  i : 
41-42. 

4.  He  finds  Philip  that  Philip  may  find  Him  "of  whom 
Moses  in  the  law  and  the  prophets  did  write."     i :  43-45. 

5.  He  mets  Nathanael  and  endorses  him  and  all  preceding 
confessions,  "Thou  art  the  Son  of  God,"  "Thou  art  the  King 
of  Israel,"  by  announcing  Himself  in  a  final  climacteric  claim 
as  the  Son  of  Man,  the  Lord  of  Angels  of  Jacob's  dream,  the 
Law  Giver  of  Isaiah's  vision,  the  Mediator  between  God  and 
man,  the  Reconciler  of  heaven  and  earth,  i :  50-51.  Gen.  28: 
10-22.     Is.  2:  1-4. 

And  all  this  is  accepted  or  spoken  by  one  most  humble,  most 
human,  Jesus  of  Nazareth,  Son  of  Joseph,     i :  45-46. 

"Come  and  see ;"  Christianity  is  open  to  all  rational  investi- 
gation. 


Sect.  3. — 2:  i-ii. 
The  Testimony  of  the  first  Sign  of  the  Glory    of   the    God 
Man. 

It  is  the  glory  of  the  theanthropic  Personality  now  taber- 
nacling among  men ;  "His  own  glory." 

With  transfiguring  creative  power  the  Lord  of  Glory  is  in 
the  world;  and  in  the  House  of  Israel  appears  the  Bridegroom 
indeed.     John  2 :  5.     Gen.  41 :  55  ;  Ixx. 

"The  conscious  water  saw  its  God  and  blushed."  In  deep- 
est knowledge  of  Himself  and  of  His  mission  He  gives  this 
sign  of  festal  joy  significant  of  the  spirit  of  the  New  Day  and 
Dispensation. 

The  Old  could  not  do  aught  else  than  leave  men  athirst  in 
utter  want;  but  now  came  One  Who  as  the  true  Bridegroom 
changes  the  tasteless  Water  of  the  Old  into  the  wine  of  joy  of 
the  New  Creation,  everlasting  and  inexhaustible.     2:  i-ii. 

This  is  the  first  illustration  of  20:  30-31.  This  "sign"  of 
the  Glory  led  faith  as  along  a  line  of  light  to  its  source — the 
divine  Doer  of  the  marvellous  deed. 

The  signs  of  20:  30-31  cannot  be  only  post-resurrection, 
for  the  writer  says  "in  this  book." 


PART  II.  2  :  12—12  :  50.  "Into  the  World." 
The  Testimony  from  the  day  of  the  Manifestation  of  Jesus 
Christ  to  Israel  to  the  day  of  His  departure  and  hiding 
from  His  unbelieving  people;  or  the  testimony,  per- 
sonal and  official,  of  Jesus  the  Christ,  from  the  first  to 
the  last  Passover,  as  the  Prophet,  the  Priest,  the  King, 
the  Only  Begotten  Son  of  God. 

THE    ANOINTED. 

I.  This  Part  contains  the  record  of  the  PubHc  Ministry  of 
Jesus  in  Relation  to  the  great  Festivals  of  Israel. 

Throughout  we  behold  in  them  Jesus  in  His  Messianic,  offi- 
cial character.  He  is  the  Mediator  and  the  Reconciler,  the 
Prophet,  the  Priest,  the  King. 

A  Mediator  is  one  who  comes  between  two  estranged  parties 
to  reconcile  them.  Gal.  3:  19-26;  I  Tim.  2:5;  Heb.  8;  6;  9: 
15;  12:  24. 

A  Prophet:  One  who  speaks  for  God  to  men.  Ex.  4:  16; 
7 :  1-2]  Deut.  18 :  5 ;  Isa.  61 :  i ;  Heb.  i :  i. 

Each  office,  whether  of  prophet,  priest  or  king,  relates  to  re- 
demption. 

The  conscious  relations  to  these  three  Messianic  offices 
proves  how  Jesus  beheld  Himself  as  the  Fulfilment  and  Truth 
of  all  promise,  type  and  prediction  of  the  Scriptures,  the  An- 
ointed One  of  all  the  anointed  ones. 

In  addition  to  all,  the  Father  bore  witness  that  He  who 
claimed  such  official  names  had  personally  another  name  that 
alone  could  give  worth  and  dignity  to  them,  the  name  Son  of 
God. 

The  voice  of  the  Father  proclaimed  from  heaven  three  times 
that  Jesus  was  the  Son  of  God;  at  the  beginning  of  the  min- 
istry of  the  Prophet  after  His  baptism,  John  i:  32-34;  Matt. 
3:  16-17;  at  the  Transfiguration  shorly  after  the  priestly  feed- 
ing of  the  thousands,  Matt.  17 :  5 ;  and  a  third  time  after  the 
royal  entry  into  the  city  of  the  great  King,  John  12 :  27-28. 


THE    PASSOVERS. 

2".  The  Passover  is  specially  characteristic  of  the  Gospel  of 
John.  Three  are  mentioned.  If  there  were  four  during  the  min- 
istry of  Jesus,  the  three  are  doubtless  like  the  seven  miracles  of 
this  Gospel  selected  for  a  symbolic  use.  Jesus  is  related  to- 
the  first  as  the  Prophet,  to  the  second  as  the  Priest,  to  the 
third  as  the  King.  Before  each  it  is  said,  it  is  "nigh;"  the 
Body  casts  its  Shadow  bfore.  John  20:  30-31;  Heb.  i:  1-3; 
Deut.  18:  5;  I  Kings  19:  16;  Ps.  133:  1-3;  Psa.  2:7;  Col.  2, 

At  the  Second  Passover  He  was  not  at  Jerusalem  at  alU 
though  it  is  mentioned  as  "nigh"  according  to  the  deep  mean- 
ing of  the  words  of  the  Gospel. 

The  sacrifice  of  the  lamb  was  the  root  and  foundation  and 
inclusion  of  all  the  sacrifices ;  the  Festival  of  the  Passover  was 
the  basis  and  beginning  of  all  the  festivals,  and  the  idea  of  re- 
demption from  Egypt  which  underlay  all  was  then  only  fulfilled 
when  the  nation  had  actually  entered  Canaan  and  was  rejoicing 
in  its  Feast  of  Tabernacles.  The  One  Symbolical  Year  of 
Redemption  was  then  finished.  Rev.  3:8;  Gen.  3:  21,  12:  7-8; 
Lev.  i:  17;  Ex.  12:  2,  13:  14-17;  Ex.  34:  23-24;  Isa.  61:  2; 
63:  4- 

Thus  to  move  from  Passover  to  Passover,  from  Festival  to 
Festival  of  solemn  God-given  rite  and  ceremony,  the  conscious 
"Body"  and  Reality  of  all,  when  all  involved  in  them  is  con- 
sidered, is  to  give  most  astounding  evidence  that  Jesus  is  the 
Messiah,  the  Son  of  God,  Jehovah  who  spake  to  Moses. 

And  in  all  such  revelations  He  is  the  offered  Redeemer,  who 
came  to  give  life  to  the  world. 

In  brief.  He  came  as  the  Sent  One  from  God ;  the  sanctified 
to  come  to  do  His  will ;  to  bring  life  eternal ;  to  save  the 
world ;  to  speak  the  words  of  God ;  to  do  His  works  and  in  the 
Father's  name ;  to  seek  God's  glory ;  to  glorify  God's  name ; 
to  reveal  the  Father;  to  declare  the  name  of  God  as  the  God 
and  Father  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ;  and  consequently  He 
came  to  call  men  to  believe  on  Him  whom  God  sent.  He  came, 
however,  as  Life  of  Life,  Light  of  Light,  Love  of  Love,  for 


He  could  also  say  "He  that  sent  Me  is  with  Me;"  "He  that 
seeth  me,  seeth  the  Father." 

3.  The  Progress  of  this  part  of  the  Gospel,  2:  2-12:  50,  is 
a  demonstration  of  the  illumining  power  of  the  Prophet  of 
Grod.  Over  it  is  written  the  following  Scripture,  which  seems 
to  serve  as  a  proposition  to  be  proved  and  illustrated  by  the 
whole  public  ministry  of  Jesus : 

"Now  when  He  was  in  Jerusalem  at  the  Passover,  during  the 
feast  day,  many  believed  in  His  name,  when  they  saw  the 
miracles  which  He  did.  But  Jesus  did  not  commit  Himself 
unto  them,  because  He  knew  all  men,  and  needed  not  that  any 
should  testify  of  man :  for  He  knew  what  was  in  man."  2 : 
23-25- 

A  Nicodemus,  the  best  product  of  formal  Judaism,  a  teacher, 
a  sage,  a  moralist,  a  patriot,  is  presented  first  as  an  illustration 
of  the  power  of  the  all-knowing  Word,  of  the  all-manifesting 
Light;  and  at  the  other  end  of  the  scale  a  sinful  woman  and 
Samaritan,  whose  life  and  thoughts  and  needs  Jesus  thoroughly 
knew. 

And  this,  too,  is  like  another  Scripture.  "For  the  Word 
of  God  is  quick  and  powerful  and  sharper  than  any  two- 
edged  sword,  piercing  even  to  the  dividing  asunder  of  soul  and 
spirit  and  of  the  joints  and  marrow,  and  is  a  discerner  of  the 
thoughts  and  intents  of  the  heart ;  neither  is  there  any  creature 
that  is  not  manifest  in  His  sight,  but  all  things  are  naked  and 
open  unto  the  eyes  of  Him  with  whom  we  have  to  do,"     Heb. 

4:  11-13- 

But  all  this  disclosing  of  the  hearts  of  men  is  done  that  He 
may  reveal  Himself  as  their  Life  and  Salvation ;  and  yet  some 
are  not  drawn  to  the  Light  and  prefer  to  remain  in  the  dark- 
ness they  love. 

Throughout  this  whole  historic  movement  Jesus  is  thus 
seen  not  only  as  the  Prophet  and  Word  of  God  revealing  and 
communicating  the  mind  and  will  of  God,  but  also  as  the 
Word  searching  and  testing  and  separating  believer  and  un- 


believer.  And  finally  after  He  has  tried  and  sifted  with  "hard 
sayings"  professed  disciples,  and  separated  Judas,  and  warned 
Peter,  He  commits  Himself  in  free  full  self-revelations  to 
His  confessed  disciples,  as  is  seen  in  that  "upper  room." 

This  continual  miracle  of  knowledge  was  truly  the  Sign  of 
the  presence  of  the  Prophet,  the  Revealer,  the  Light,  the  Word 
of  God,  even  of  the  Glory  of  God,  from  whose  light  and  heat 
there  is  nothing  hid.     Ps.  19 :  6 ;  Isa.  3 :  8. 

His  revelation  of  Himself  is  gradual,  and  He  reaches  critical 
points  where  His  sayings  become  touchstones  of  the  temper 
of  the  people.  In  truth  He  is  Himself  the  Touchstone,  the 
Light,  the  Revealer  at  one  and  the  same  time  of  what  He  is 
and  of  what  the  world  is. 

THE  MOULD. 

4.  A  final  observation  as  introductory  to  the  analysis  con- 
cerns a  characteristic  mould  in  which  the  testimony  is  cast. 

The  Order  and  the  Form  of  the  Narration  of  the  Events  at 
each  Passover  and  at  the  other  Festivals  is  generally  as 
follows : 

1.  Jesus  is  Present  in  some  official  character. 

2.  He  is  engaged  in  an  Act  pertinent  to  that  character, 

3.  He  foretells  the  invariable  Sign  of  His  death  and  resur- 
rection. 

4.  He  speaks  the  significant  Word  which  tests  the  heart. 

5.  He  produces  the  Effect  of  a  separation  of  believer  from 
unbeliever,  or  reveals  faith  or  unbelief. 


DIv.    I. — 2:    12-3:    21.     The    Testimony    to    Jesus    as    the 
Prophet  at  the  First  Passover. 

Sect.    I. — 2:    12-22. 

At  this  Passover  Jesus  is  attested  as  the  "true"  Prophet, 
the  "true"'  Temple  and  its  inseparable  Glory.  In  one  myster- 
ious word  it  is  implied  "here  is  One  greater  than  the  temple" 
(Matt.  12:  6),  a  vast  all-sweeping  claim  for  altar,  sacrifice  and 
priest  pass  away  at  once  with  it,  as  the  Substance  is  greater 
than  the  Shadow;  but  all  can  be  fulfilled  only  through  death 
and  resurrection. 

Blind  zeal  for  the  temple  a  few  years  later  fulfilled  both 
this  mysterious  word,  and  afterward  occasioned  the  destruction 
of  the  idolized  temple  iself. 

Here  now  is  seen  also  the  first  illustration  of  the  Mould. 

He  is  present  as  the  Prophet  who  sees  with  indignation  to 
what  base  uses  Scribe  and  Pharisee  have  permitted  the  Temple 
to  come;  His  Act  is  the  purification  of  His  Father's  House; 
His  Sign,  death  and  resurrection,  the  destroyed  and  rebuilt 
Temple ;  His  Word,  too  mysterious  for  the  disciples  now  and 
until  He  rose  from  the  dead. 

We  have  also  at  this  official  beginning  of  His  ministry  the 
first  illustration  of  the  misunderstanding  of  the  "natural  man" 
of  the  words  of  Jesus  when  He  spoke  of  "heavenly  things" 
under  typical  and  earthly  forms. 

The  Jews  thought  of  the  Temple  they  idolized  when  He 
spoke  of  the  shrine  of  His  body  in  which  the  Glory  of  God 
tabernacled. 

And  this  misunderstanding  of  the  "earthly  things,"  3 :  12,  is 
repeated  again  and  again  as  to  "birth,"  and  "well,"  and 
"water,"  "bread,"  and  "manna,"  and  "freedom,"  and  "blind- 
ness," and  "sleep,"  and  "the  way,"  and  many  other  S)mibols  and 
types  of  heavenly  and  divine  realities.  Jer.  23  :  11 ;  Ezek.  i :  15 ; 
Matt.  12:  9;  Mark  8:  38;  Matt.  26:  61;  Mark  11:  15;  Zech. 
6:  13. 

31 


Sect.  2.-2:  23—3:  15. 
The  Testimony  in  the  Interview  with  NIcodemus. 

The  self-revelation  of  the  real  Teacher  to  the  Teacher  of 
Israel. 

This  ruler  of  the  Jews  furnishes  the  first  and  most  impres- 
sive proof  of  the  statement  that  Jesus  knew  all  men  and  did 
not  entrust  Himself  to  them. 

Very  suggestively  and  in  keeping  with  the  character  of  His 
Mission  as  the  Light,  He  begins  His  revelations  in  the  night- 
time and  to  one  who  was  Himself  professedly  the  teacher  of 
Israel,  "a  guide  to  the  blind,  a  light  of  them  which  are  in 
darkness." 

"And  there  was  a  man  of  the  Pharisees  named  Nicodemus, 
a  ruler  of  the  Jews" — whom  Jesus  thoroughly  knew. 

For  some  reason  the  translators  omitted  the  "and"  which  is 
intended  to  lead  the  mind  back  to  what  had  been  said  about 
trusting  men. 

The  Teacher  from  God,  the  Son  ever  hearing  the  words 
and  seeing  the  works  of  the  Father,  is  teaching  the  "Teacher 
of  Israel"  the  heavenly  import  and  substance  of  the  symbolic 
earthly  things  of  Nature  and  of  the  Old  Covenant.  The 
Teacher  is  Himself  the  heavenly  Truth  of  the  earthly  Sem- 
blance. The  word  "true"  is  real  as  fulfilling  type  and  shadow ; 
Christ  is  the  true  Light,  created  light  is  but  the  shadow  of 
the  real ;  preaching  and  saving  is  the  real,  the  highest  fulfil- 
ment of  the  proverb,  "One  soweth  and  the  other  reapeth;" 
Sons  of  God  are  real  worshipers  of  the  Father;  Christ  is  the 
real  Bread,  the  real  Vine;  in  brief,  the  Reality  of  all  things 
foreshadowing  Him  and  forecreated  by  Him  or  foreappointed 
in  religious  and  natural  type  and  shadow.  Heb.  9:  23,  8:  5, 
10:  i;  Col.  2:  17;  Ex.  25:  40,  26:  30;  Acts  7:  44. 

A  Nicodemus  can  recognize  in  Jesus  "  a  teacher  come  from 
God"  and  that  God  is  with  him  as  a  prophet,  but  he  knew 
not  that  each  name  had  a  higher,  divine,  heavenly  meaning,  the 
real  and  ultimate.  In  all  this  Nicodemus  saw  and  spoke  like  a 
natural  man,  and  all  unlike  a  Nathaniel  who  beholding  in  Jesus 
the  King  of  Israel,  the  Son  of  God,  proved  himself  to  be  "an 

32 


Israelite  indeed."  Not  yet  taught  of  the  Spirit,  Nicodemus 
cannot  say  "Jesus  is  Lord,"  i  Cor.  12  13 ;  nor  born  only  of  the 
flesh,  see  the  Kingdom  of  God ;  and  so  the  first  word  of  Jesus 
went  right  to  the  heart  of  the  matter. 

The  Self-witness  of  Jesus. 

1.  Jesus  is  conscious  of  being  more  than  Nicodemus  de- 
clared Him  to  be.     3:1-2. 

2.  He  gives  hint  of  His  whence  and  whither.  "Born  from 
above"  is  true  of  each  believer  in  Christ. 

The  children  of  God  are  born  of  the  Spirit  and  know 
whence  they  are  and  whither  they  are  going.     3  :3-8. 

3.  He  is  the  mysterious  One  existing  in  two  spheres  of 
being,  knowledge,  will  and  power;  "the  Son  of  Man  which  is 
in  heaven."    3  19-13. 

Compare  3:13  and  6:62  and  Prov.  30:4. 

4.  He  is  God's  own  Son  who  came  in  the  likeness  of  the 
flesh  of  sin  and  was  lifted  up  as  an  offering  for  sin.  The  last 
act  of  Moses,  who  stood  for  the  Law,  was  to  point  the  dying 
to  the  brazen  serpent;  the  first  intimation  of  the  Son  of  Man 
that  He  must  be  lifted  up  brings  the  last  type  of  the  wilder- 
ness and  the  antitype  together.  Jesus  is  conscious  of  being 
the  Fulfilment  and  Body  of  all. 

Sect.  3.     3  :  16-21. 
The  Testimony  of  the  additional   words  concerning  judg- 
ment and  the  light  and  the  darkness.     "For  God  so 
loved." 

1.  Jesus  is  not  a  mere  teacher  as  Nicodemus  considered 
Him,  but  "the  Only  Begotten  Son  of  God."     3  16-17. 

2.  He  is  also  a  Judge  and  Divider  on  a  matter  of  eternal 
moment. 

3.  The  nature  and  reason  of  the  Judgment  is  g^ven. 

Life  as  Love  and  Light  enters  the  World  of  hate  and  dark- 
ness and  death,  because  it  is  Love,  i  Pet.  52:21;  Matt.  19:28; 
Ezek.  36 :  26-27,  Z7  '•  i-i4- 

33 


The  Word  divides  the  light  from  the  darkness;  it  brings  a 
crisis,  a  separation,  a  judgment.     Gen.  1:4;  John  9:39. 

THE   MOULD. 

The  Prophet  is  present;  His  Act  is  teaching  of  the  highest 
kind  as  of  a  witness  who  infallibly  knows,  for  He  is  the  Son 
of  man  in  heaven;  He  foreshows  the  Sign  of  the  lifting  up; 
He  speaks  the  testing  words;  He  reveals  the  presence  of  be- 
lief or  unbelief;  the  love  or  the  hate  of  the  Light.     John  3  :i4. 

"After  these  things,"  is  a  note  of  time  indicating  the  close 
of  one  period  of  a  peculiarly  related  ministry  and  the  begin- 
ning of  another.    3:22,  5:1;  (R.  V.)  6:1,  7:1,  21:1. 


DIv.   II. — 3:    22-4;    54.     The  Testimony  in  Judea,  Samaria 
and  Galilee. 

Sect,  I. — 3 :  22-36. 

Final  Testimony  of  John  the  Baptist  to  the  Prophet  greater 
than  himself. 

The  disciples  baptize  into  the  name  of  Jesus;  the  number 
increases ;  all  is  significant  of  the  waxing  old  of  the  ineffectual 
Law. 

This  is  confirmed  by  John  the  Baptist,  great  in  his  humility. 
Heb.  8 :  13 ;   Rom.  8 :  3. 

He  confesses  that  the  Law  with  its  "many  waters"  and 
"purification"  could  not  cleanse;  that  in  his  own  decreasing 
importance,  even  in  himself  the  very  Voice  and  impersonation 
of  the  Old  Covenant,  could  be  seen  a  symbol  of  the  temporari- 
ness  of  its  earthly  types  and  shadows.  He  declares  the  highest 
honor  possible  for  one  like  himself,  who  would  not  live  to 
see  the  day  of  the  Spirit  of  Sonship  was  to  be  like  Abraham 
a  "friend."  the  one  the  "friend  of  God,"  the  other  the  "friend" 
of  the  Bridegroom.  Sonship  came  when  redemption  had  been 
accomplished.     Gal.  4:  4-7.    John  15:  15. 

In  sum :  John  was  a  man  sent  from  God,  not  God  become 
man,  i :  6,  a  prophet  not  the  Revealer,  10 :  41,  a  herald  not  the 
King,  3 128,  a  witness  not  the  Truth,  i  :7,  a  friend  not  the 
Bridegroom,  3 :  29,  a  lamp  not  the  Light,  5 :  33-36,  a  vanishing 
voice  not  the  abiding  Word,  i :  23. 

And  therefore  to  Jesus  all  men  should  come,  3 :  26,  for  He  is 
the  greater  Witness  and  from  above,  3:  31-33;  the  Possessor 
of  the  Spirit  without  measure,  and  of  all  revelation  and 
might,  3 :  34-35,  even  the  Life  eternal,  3 :  36. 

He  brought  no  measured  piecemeal  word  of  God,  such  as 
came  through  the  prophets  to  the  fathers,  because  He  is 
Himself  the  full  revelation  of  the  Truth  and  Life  of  God.  He 
is  greater  than  Moses.  The  fellowship  in  the  mystery  of  the 
Godhead  is  perfect.  Love  knows  all,  tells  all,  gives  all.  Heb. 
9:  10;  Acts  13:  39;  Rom.  3:  20;  Heb.  i :  1-2. 

Faith  in  the  Son  holds  Life  in  its  essential  form  as  from  the 

35 


Father  and  for  a  son;  while  unbelief  retains  its  death  under 
the  wrath  of  God.  Matt,  ii:  27;  John  5:  20,  13:  3,  16:  15, 
17:  7;  Col.  1:19,  2:  3-9;  Heb.  1:2;  Heb.  2:  8. 

(John  3:  32  must  be  spoken  of  a  later  day  for  it  had  just 
been  said  "all  men  come  to  him."     3:  26.) 

Sect.  2.     4:  1-42. 
The  Testimony  at  Jacob's  Well. 

To  the  Woman,  4:  1-26. 

To  the  Disciples,  4 :  27-38. 

To  the  Samaritans,  4 :  39-42. 

Jesus  is  seen  weary  and  hungry  and  thirsty;  "made  like 
unto  His  brethren,"  yet  "greater"  than  Jacob  and  Jacob's 
well. 

1.  He  is  the  Giver  of  the  living  water  leaping  ever  heaven- 
ward.    4:   ID. 

2.  The  Prophet  or  Searching  Word.    4:  19.  ^ 

3.  The  Source  of  Salvation  and  Revealer  of  the  true  wor- 
ship.    4:  20-24. 

4.  The  Messiah.    4:29. 

5.  The  Doer  of  the  will  of  the  Father.    4 :  34. 

6.  The  Lord  of  the  harvest.    4 :  38. 

7.  The  Saviour  of  the  world.    4 :  42. 

Jacob's  well  in  the  heart  of  Samaria  is  a  symbol  of  the 
truth,  "Salvation  is  of  (out  of)  the  Jews."  Only  through  this 
Hebrew  prophet  the  gift  of  God  could  come.  The  water  is  to 
flow  throughout  all  nations ;  the  Messiah  is  the  Saviour  of  the 
World ;  its  harvest  is  always  ripe  and  the  gathering  abundant ; 
the  result  is  worshiping  children  of  God  everywhere.  He  is 
greater  than  Jacob  and  his  well,  i  Kings  8:  41-43;  Ps.  72: 
lo-ii;  Isa.  2:  2;  II :  10;  42:  i,  6;  Micah  5:  8;  Isa.  48:  21; 

S5--  I. 
The  woman  always  said  "well,"  Jesus  said  "spring." 

THE  MOULD. 

The  Prophet  is  present;  the  Act  is  the  teaching  of  the  Son 
unwearied  in  His  Father's  service ;  the  Sign,  the  living  Water 

36 


from   the   riven   Rock;    the  Word,   laying  open  the  life    and 
heart;  the  Effect,  faith  and  instant  testimony. 

Sect.   3-     4:   43-54- 
The  Testimony  of  the  Sign  pertinent  to  the  Gentiles. 

The  first  sign  was  symbolically  in  the  house,  to  them  that 
were  "near."  to  Israel ;  the  second  to  the  "far-off,"  to  the  Gen- 
tile, but  both  ways  the  Glory  was  manifested. 

"The  Prophet  without  honor  in  His  own  country"  the  hint 
of  Israel's   rejection.     "The  Light  of  the  Gentiles  "is  here." 

Those  far  off  are  brought  nigh.  They  believe  without  see- 
ing. Jesus  heals  with  a  word  out  of  the  unseen,  and  at  the  full 
time.  Jesus  delights  in  faith  without  "signs."  All  is  a  mirror 
of  Gentile  faith,  and  salvation.  Isa.  9:  1-2;  Rom.  9-1 1;  Luke 
2:  32;  Acts  2:  39;  Eph.  2:  13,  17;  Matt.  8:8;  Luke  4:  36,  7:  7. 

THE  MOULD. 

The  Presence  of  the  Glory  is  felt  from  afar;  the  Act  is  that 
of  the  world-wide  Healer ;  the  Sign  is  given  in  the  dying  and 
revived  child;  the  Word  of  seeming  reproof  is  spoken;  the 
Effect  is  full  and  confirmed  faith  in  the  Lord. 


Div.  III. — 5:   1-47.     The  Testimony  of  Jesus  to  Himself  as 
God's   "Own   Son"   on   healing  the   Impotent   men. 

This  feast  was  probably  that  of  Pentecost.  The  internal 
testimony  of  the  deed  and  the  interview  and  discourse  is  to 
that  effect. 

According  to  the  historic  order,  and  the  typical  import,  the 
finished  Redemption  of  the  Passover  is  followed  by  the  wit- 
nessing and  preaching  of  the  Day  of  Pentecost.  Acts  2 :  46,  3 : 
I,  II ;  4:  5-6,  5:  21. 

It  is  a  Day  of  quickening,  "the  Hour  which  now  is;"  it  is  a 
Work  of  making  whole;  it  is  the  true  Sabbath  work,  not  ser- 
vile. He  is  greater  than  Bethesda.  Ex.  23:  16,  34:  22;  Deut. 
16:  9-12;  Acts  2:  14-36,  3:  12,  26. 

The  Pentecostal  preaching  bears  witness  to  the  lordship  of 
Jesus,  to  the  resurrection,  to  the  judgment.  Num.  28:  26;  Acts 
2 :  14-20. 

The  sermons  of  Peter  and  the  whole  Book  of  the  Acts,  or 
works  of  the  Spirit  of  Christ,  expand  and  illustrate  this  "feast" 
of  John's  Gospel. 

All  the  feast  becomes  a  miniature  of  the  yet  unended  Pente- 
costal Day  of  the  Church.  Pentecost  was  only  one  day.  The 
disciples  of  Christ  are  the  hint  to  the  chief  leaders  of  the 
people,  of  the  new  meat  offering  of  Pentecost.     Lev,  23 :  21. 

And  just  as  in  the  later  apostolic  preaching  and  miracle- 
working  the  Rulers  of  Israel  began  to  persecute,  so  here  we 
meet  the  first  crisis  with  the  professed  enemies  of  Jesus. 

The  attitude  of  opposition  and  unbelief  on  the  part  of  the 
Jews  in  this  feast  makes  this  scene  also  typical  of  their  rejec- 
tion; 5:  17,  18;  6:  9;  7:  60;  and  instead  of  a  national  Pente- 
cost came  the  Pentecost  of  the  Church,  the  first  fruits  of  the 
harvest,  the  meat  offering  "unto  the  Lord  for  the  priest." 
"Eternal  life  to  as  many  as  Thou  hast  given  Him."  Rev.  14-4; 
Num.  28 :  26-31 ;  Lev.  23 :  20;  Jas.  i :  18 ;  John  17 :  2. 


38 


Sect.  I.    5:  1-18. 
Sect.   1. — 5:    1-18.     Testimony    of    the    third    sign  of    His 
glory,  and  of  His  claim  of  equality  with  God.     ''God, 
His  own  Father.'*    The  first  great  self-revelation. 

This  sign  betokens  the  impotence  of  nature  and  the  law  to 
make  whole. 

It  furnishes  an  occasion  for  testimony  to  the  great  and  faith- 
ful Witness  of  God  and  to  the  Doer  co-equal  with  God.  The 
claim  is  an  advance  on,  "And  no  man  hath  ascended  up  to 
heaven,  but  He  that  came  down  from  heaven,  even  the  Son  of 
man  which  is  in  heaven." 

The  two  charges  are  violation  of  the  Sabbath  and  the  claim 
that  God  is  "His  ozvn  Father."  This  claim  that  Jesus  knew  was 
one  wholly  unlike  their  own,  for  they  also  claimed  God  to 
be  their  Father.     8 :  41. 

Sect.  2.     5 :    19-29. 
The  Testimony  to  Jesus  as  equal  with,  and  yet  subordinate 
to,  the  Father. 

There  is  a  mysterious  seeing  and  doing  in  a  divine  fellow- 
ship of  ineflFable  love. 

Jesus  raises  and  quickens,  and  is  therefore  omnipotent;  He 
judges  and  therefore  omniscient;  He  is  honored  as  the 
Father  and  therefore  to  be  worshiped ;  and  faith  in  Him  an- 
ticipates and  forestalls  judgment. 

For  all  this  He  must  be  sinless  and  possess  limitless  knowl- 
edge and  power  touching  all  men,  events,  generations,  ages, 
lands,  peoples,  laws  natural,  laws  spiritual,  and  all  pertaining 
to  all  experiences  of  all  men  that  have  lived,  now  live,  will  yet 
live. 

Sect.  3.     5:  30-47. 
The  Four  Witnesses  and  the  final  claim  as  greater  than 
Moses. 

Jesus  for  a  moment  (8:  12-20)  waives  aside  His  own  testi- 
mony and  appeals  to  that  of  the  Father  and  of  the  works  and 


of  John  the  Baptist  and  of  the  Old  Testament,  but  He  finally 
reaffirms  all  in  claiming  to  be  the  true  Messiah,  in  predicting 
Israel's  future  acceptance  of  the  false  Messiah ;  and  in  accusing 
them  of  unbelief  in  Moses  of  whose  writings  He  claims  to  be 
the  theme.  He  thus  re-ascends  to  a  climacteric  claim  of  great- 
ness beyond  that  of  Moses  and  all  the  Mosaic  institutions,  as 
being  the  very  Fulfilment  and  Reality  of  all  that  Moses  wrote. 
(5:  30  "just,"  8:  16  "true.") 

In  5:  16-29  is  seen  the  high  and  divine  side;  in  5:  30-47  the 
humble  and  human,  but  in  both  is  found  the  one  chief  claim 
of  being  the  Giver  of  Life. 

This  Gospel  adds  to  the  four  witnesses  already  mentioned, 
three  more,  Jesus,  the  Holy  Spirit  and  the  disciples. 

THE  MOULD. 

The  Prophet  and  Revealer,  the  faithful  and  true  Witness 
Who  cannot  deny  His  oneness  with  the  Father  or  His  continual 
seeing  and  hearing  what  the  Father  is  showing  Him,  is  present 
to  fulfil  the  idea  and  purpose  of  the  feast  of  Pentecost;  HHs 
Act  is  the  symbolic  work  of  healing  which  the  law  was  im- 
potent to  do ;  the  Sign  of  His  own  death  and  resurrection  i  j 
implied  in  His  power  to  raise  others ;  the  Word  spoken  tests 
and  reveals  the  mind  of  the  unbelieving  Jews ;  He  is  a  dis- 
cerner  of  the  thoughts  and  intents  of  their  hearts ;  the  Eflfect  is 
unbelief  in  their  own  Scriptures  so  often  made  a  hint  and 
prophecy  of  Jewish  rejection  of  the  Son  of  God;  and  the  final 
warning  of  Jesus  suggests  the  many  antichrists,  and  at  last  the 
Antichrist  whom  on  coming  in  his  own  name  they  will  receive. 
Rev.  3  :  14 ;  Lev.  16:2;  Matt.  24 :  24 ;  Luke  21 :  22 ;  2  Th.  2 :  4. 


Div.  IV. — 6:   1-71.     The  Testimony  to  Jesus  in  Relation  to 
the  Second  Passo/er  as  the  Prophet  and  the  Priest. 

The  special  self-revelation  is  that  of  the  great  Priest  and 
the  Bread  of  God,  while  the  Prophet  in  word  and  act  also 
continues. 

The  "after  this"  which  introduces  the  first  Pass- 
over, 2 :  12,  and  the  "after  these  things"  the  Judean  ministry, 
3:  22,  and  the  feast,  5:1,  and  the  Passover,  6:  i,  and  finally 
the  Tabernacles,  the  last  feast  of  the  year,  7:  i,  all  indicate 
transitions  and  progress  in  the  historic  movement. 

But  the  last  found  at  7 :  i,  intimates  how  from  Tabernacles 
on,  the  truth  and  testimony  pertinent  to  Jesus  as  the  Prophet 
and  the  Priest  is  cumulative  and  comes  to  a  climax  in  the 
Third  Passover,  includmg  thus  that  of  the  Feast  of  the  Dedi- 
cation. 


A  Priest:  One  who  acts  with  God  for  men.     Ex.  19:  22 
Heb.  5:1;  Levit.  10:  11;  Mai.  2:  7. 


In  Capernaum  comes  the  crisis  with  His  professed  dis- 
ciples; and  rejected  by  the  representatives  of  His  people  Jesus 
retires  into  Galilee  manifesting  there  His  glory. 

Sect.   I.     6:  1-14. 
The  Testimony  of  the  fourth  Sign  of  His  Glory. 

The  discerning  Word  tests  a  Philip  and  an  Andrew  and  per- 
ceives the  intent  of  the  multitude;  but  He  does  not  commit 
Himself  to  men.  He  "knew  in  Himself"  as  one  who  ever  held 
within  Himself  the  Urim  and  Thummim,  Ex.  28:  30;  Deut. 
33  :  8 ;  Ezra  2 :  63. 

Jesus  reveals  Himself  in  the  priestly  act  of  feeding  the 
multitudes ;  and  in  refusing  to  be  King  now  before  the  priestly 
offering  of  Himself  is  made.  His  discourse  is  inseparable 
from  the  nighness  of  the  Passover,  its  blood  and  its  flesh. 

41 


Sect.  2.    6:    15-21. 
The  Testimony  of  the  fifth  Sign. 

While  the  Jews  are  seeking  their  King,  the  Church  is 
tossed  upon  the  Sea  of  Nations  until  Jesus  comes ;  but  as  soon 
as  He  appears  "in  a  moment"  they  are  at  land.  Matt.  14:  22- 
33;  Mark  6:  45-52;  r  Cor.  15:  52;  i  Th.  4:  17. 

Sect.  3.     6:  22-71. 
The  Testimony  in  the  Synagogue  of  Capernaum. 

The  Rebuke  to  the  Multitude;  and  the  Exhortation  to  work 
for  the  Real  Bread  of  God  of  which  the  manna  was  but  a 
perishable  type. 

In  still  hidden  meaning  (6:  33  not  "he"  but  "that  which")  He 
proceeds  in  His  discourse  until  He  makes  the  plainest  avowal 
of  being  what  only  the  infinitely  gracious  God  can  be  to  the 
soul  of  man  witii  its  limitless  need  and  desire ;  its  Bread,  its 
Food ;  its  Life. 

6:  27-33. 

1.  They  who  judge  after  the  flesh  do  not  understand  that  He 
is  the  Son  of  Man  who  gives  the  imperishable  Food,  ()\  'Z'j', 
that  He  is  the  Sealed  One,  6:  27;  that  He  is  the  Sent  One,  6: 
29 ;  that  He  is  the  Pre-existent  One,  6 :  32 ;  that  He  is  the 
Lifegiver,  6:  33. 

6:  34-40. 

2.  There  follows  the  plain  avowal  of  all  the  foregoing,  and 
in  addition  that  He  is  the  Raiser  of  the  dead. 

6:  41-S1. 

3.  The  avowal  is  repeated  with  the  further  claim  that  He 
hath  seen  the  Father,  and  is  from  the  Father;  and  that  His 
"flesh"  is  the  "bread." 

6:  52-59. 

4.  The  repetition  is  made  and  the  claim  that  no  life  is  pos- 
sible for  man  apart  from  Him,  and  only  through  His  blood, 
which  is  here  mentioned  for  the  first  time. 

The  climax,  begun  in  the  obscure  statement  "For  the  bread 
of  God  is  that  ivhich" 

42 


-—not  "he,"  see  R.  V.  of  6:  33. 

is  here  openly  reached. 

6:  60-65. 

5.  It  is  all  a  "hard  saying,"  and  made  still  harder  for  such 
who  thought  the  expected  Messiah  would  abide  on  the  earth 
forever  after  He  once  came.  His  dying  and  rising  again  and 
ascending  on  high  was  indeed  foreign  to  the  thoughts  of  all 
the  disciples. 

6:  66. 

6.  The  "hard  saying"  has  its  divisive  effect  and  discloses 
the  unbelief  of  many. 

6:  67-71. 

7.  His  pleading  inquiry  of  the  twelve  is  met  by  their  grate- 
ful testimony.  In  spite  of  their  ignorance  they  cling  the  more 
to  Him  and  receive  His  words  of  life  and  believe  and  know 
He  is  the  Christ,  the  Holy  One  of  the  Living  God. 

And  yet  there  is  a  blinded  one  who  heeds  not  the  warning 
from  Him  Who  is  the  all-searching  Word  and  revealing 
Light. 

THE  MOULD. 

The  Prophet  is  present  in  His  priestly  character  and  con- 
scious whence  and  wherefore  he  came  into  the  world;  His 
ministering  Act,  the  giving  of  the  bread ;  His  foretold  Sign  the 
giving  of  His  flesh  and  the  raising  up  of  the  dead;  His 
mysterious  Words  are  spirit  and  life  to  faith,  but  hard  sayings 
to  unbelief,  even  to  professed  disciples ;  they  draw  forth 
earnest  confession  from  the  chosen,  they  uncover  unbelief  in 
the  many.  He  is  greater  than  the  manna,  Ex.  16:  14;  Num. 
11:7;  Heb.  9:4;  Rev.  2:  17. 


43 


Djv.  V. — 7:  1-10;  42.  The  continuous  and  culminating  Testi- 
mony at  Tabernacles  and  Dedication  as  the  Prophet, 
the  Priest,  the  Dedicated  Shepherd,  the  Man,  the  Fel- 
low of  Jehovah. 

These  Festivals  close  the  Sacred  Year,  and  the  once  obscure 
saying  of  a  return  to  God  is  now  more  plainly  declared.  His 
"day  of  twelve  hours"  begins  to  decline. 

(The  final  departure  from  Galilee  noted  in  the  other  Gospels 
coincides  with  this  Festival.) 

The  turning  point  has  been  reached  in  His  progress  from  the 
Father  to  the  Father.  Henceforth  the  movement,  though  at 
the  last  through  the  darkness  of  death  and  the  under  world 
for  a  little  time,  is  evermore  toward  the  glory  He  had  with 
the  Father  before  the  world  was.     7 :  32-36. 

His  teaching  of  the  people  also  culminates ;  and  as  if  He 
now  had  the  right  to  expect  faith  in  Him  as  the  Messiah,  He 
cries  out  against  their  unbelief.  "Ye  both  know  me  and  ye 
know  whence  I  am ;  and  I  am  not  come  of  myself,  but  he  that 
sent  me  is  true,  whom  ye  know  not ;  but  I  know  him,  for 
I  am  from  him  and  he  hath  sent  me."  And  they  sought  to  take 
him.     7 :  26-31. 

The  teaching  culminates  both  as  to  His  divine  nature  and 
the  implied  need  of  men  to  be  born  from  above,  and  have  God 
indeed  their  Father. 

Jesus  conscious  of  all  the  Festivals  signify,  and  that  He  is 
Himself  their  great  Fulfiller  attends  the  Feast  of  Tabernacles, 
which  followed  the  Day  of  Atonement,  and  teaches  as  the  great 
Priest. 

"For  the  priest's  lips  should  keep  knowledge,  and  they  should 
seek  the  law  at  his  mouth ;  for  he  is  the  messenger  of  the  Lord 
of  hosts."     Mai.  2 :  7. 

The  Prophet  like  unto  Moses  is  also  here  to  communicate 
the  will  of  God. 

Deut.  18:  5;  Mai.  2:7;  Ezra.  7:  10. 

And  the  great  Rabbi  is  present  to  bring  out  the  meaning  of 
this  last  great  Festival  of  the  Year  commemorating  the  redemp- 

44 


tion  out  of  Egypt  and  the  settlement  of  the  Nation  in  the  Land. 
In  this  seventh  month,  the  first  of  the  civil  year,  the  Nation 
was  at  last  thoroughly  organized  for  its  Mission  of  righteous- 
ness and  peace  unto  all  nations  by  the  presence  of  the  indwell- 
ing Glory.  In  its  attained  rest  the  Nation  could  serve  God 
freely.  Lev.  22:  34;  i  Kings  8:  2;  2  Ch.  7:  8-11 ;  5:  14;  6:  4; 
Ezra  3:3;  Zech.  14:  16-17;  Neh.  8:  18;  i  ICings  12:  32;  Heb. 
4:8-9. 

The  Teaching  commanded  at  this  festival  is  given  by  this 
Rabbi  as  never  before.    John  7 :  46. 

Sect.   I.     7:    1-8:    II — 
The  Testimony  of  Tabernacles. 

7:  1-13. 

1.  The   Testimony   to    Himself   as   conscious   ever   of  the 
"hour,"  the  due  time  of  Hils  manifestation. 

7:    14-36. 

2.  The  Testimony  of  His  teaching  as  sent  from  God,  to 

its  climax   in  the   plain   affirmation   of   His  return  to 
God. 

He  is  not  seeking  His  own  glory  and  must  therefore  be 
true. 

He  made  a  man  every  whit  whole  on  the  Sabbath,  and  the 
people  should  know  He  had  come  to  make  the  nation  whole, 
to  serve  the  Lord  with  joy  and  gladness  in  the  great  predicted 
Sabbath  of  Messiah's  Day. 

This  was  no  servile  work,  but  divine.  He  is  greater  than 
the  Law.     Deut.  30:  6;  Col.  2:  11;  Lev  it.  23:  35. 

As  Jehovah  sent  Moses  to  Israel,  30  the  Jews  knew  the 
Father  had  sent  the  Son,  and  should  have  received  Him  as  the 
Messiah.  Their  mutual  contradictions  and  controversies  prove 
it;  but  again  all  is  doubt  and  confusion  over  His  Word,  "I 
c[o  unto  Him  that  sent  me." 

7:  37-52. 

3.  The  Testimony  in  the  promise  of  the  Spirit  attains  Its 

great  height  and  produces  again  a  divisive  effect. 

45 


It  involves  return  to  God. 

It  makes  Him  one  with  God.     Is.  32  :  15,  44 :  3  ;  Joel  2 :  28. 

It  implies  His  previous  death ;  the  Rock  once  smitten  sends 
forth  the  Water  of  Life.     Exod.  17:  5-6. 

From  the  glorified  and  therefore  once  suffering  Messiah 
the  Spirit  comes  to  baptize  all  into  One  Holy  Nation;  even 
when  the  Passover  is  by,  and  redemption  is  finally  consummat- 
ed in  the  land  of  the  promised  Rest  at  Tabernacles.  It  will  be 
on  the  last  day,  that  great  day  of  the  Feast,  when  the  decreasing 
Shadow  keeping  pace  with  the  successive  reductions  of  the 
sacrifices  of  this  Festival,  at  last  merges  into  the  luminous 
Reality.  Every  believer  will  then  become  a  Siloam,  sending 
forth  the  water  of  eternal  life.  He  is  greater  than  all  Feasts. 
Joel  2:  28-29;  Isa.  32:  15;  44:  3;  Ezek.  36:  27;  Isa.  59:  21; 
Num.  29:  12-38;  John  9:  7. 

The  Church  has  received  the  Spirit  already;  Israel  will  re- 
ceive the  Gift  in  the  day  of  the  Kingdom.  Then  Israel  will,  as 
one  made  whole  by  Him,  know  whence  the  Messiah  is  and 
was ;  then  the  people  truly  knowing  the  law  and  "without  sin," 
no  more  evil  and  adulterous,  will  walk  in  the  Light  of  the 
Life-giving  Glory.     7 :  27 ;  9 :  29-33 ;  8 :  14 ;  7 :  49 ;  Num.  23 :  21. 

7:  53-8:  II. 
4.    The  Testimony  to  the  Presence  of  the  Light  and  the 
Love  in  searching  all  hearts. 

It  quickens  the  conscience;  it  convicts  accusers;  it  gives 
pardon  and  grace. 

Sect.  2.  8:  12-59. 
The  renewed  Testimony  at  the  Feast  "in  the  treasury." 
Jesus  as  the  Light  of  the  World. 
The  Teacher  in  the  most  public  place  bears  witness  of  Him- 
self as  having  the  Father  with  Him  and  of  His  going  to  the 
Father.  Light  of  Light  he  had  come  into  the  World  of  dark- 
ness. 

The  splendid  lights  of  the  Feast  have  all  gone  out,  and 
just  as  when  the  sacrifices  had  decreased  Jesus  appeared  with 
the  promise  of  the  Spirit,  so  now  when  all  is  dark  He  comes, 

46 


the  light  of  the  world.  He  speaks  to  them  plainly  of  the 
Father  and  whence  the  Son  came  and  whence  they  are,  but 
though  all  are  in  the  dark  concerning  His  words,  many  believe 
on  Him.     Num.  29 :  8-38. 

To  these  professed  disciples  He  now  brings  the  testing 
words  of  true  freedom  and  Sonship,  but  the  effect  is  the  uncov- 
ering of  deep-rooted  unbelief  and  hate.  Rom.  8:  26;  Gal.  4: 
1-6. 

8:  12-20. 

1.  The  testimony  once  waived  in  humility,  5:  31-39,  is  now 
asserted.  Whither  He  was  gomg  He  knew  as  well  as  whence 
He  came;  His  consciousness  He  could  not  deny;  "Even  if  I 
bear  witness  of  myself  my  witness  is  true,  for  I  know  whence 
I  came  and  whither  I  go,  but  ye  know  not  whence  1  come  or 
whither  I  go." 

The  Son  and  the  Father  both  teotify  whence  the  Son  came 
and  whither  He  is  going;  men's  judgment  01  the  mystery  is 
according  to  the  flesh. 

o:  21-30. 

2.  The  two  origins ;  of  Christ  and  of  the  unforgiven.  The 
lifting  up  of  Christ,  the  final  proof  of  His  claims  and  of  His 
relation  to  the  Father. 

8:  31-47. 

3.  The  claim  to  set  free  and  make  true  childen  of  God. 
The  sin-enslaved  nature  and  the  real  kinship  of  the  unbeliev- 
ing; they  are  not  real  children  of  Abraham  but  of  the  devil,  the 
father  of  the  lie.  All  in  contrast  with  the  Son  of  God  as  to 
father,  nature,  truth  and  sinlessness :  they  are  not  "of  God." 
Jesus  "never  fell  out  of  harmony  with  God  or  with  Himself; 
He  alone  needed  no  repentance,  no  forgiveness." 

8:  48-59. 

4.  The  final  charge  against  Christ  of  Abraham's  unreal 
children ;  and  Christ's  answer  of  mingled  humility  and  great- 
ness making  the  way  for  His  climacteric  claim  of  eternal  pre- 
existence  as  the  everexi sting  One  the  "I  Am,"  the  Jehovah  of 
their   fathers. 

This  IS  His  Second  Great  Self -revelation. 

47 


In  8:  24  He  declared  "except  ye  believe  that  I  am  he,  ye 
shall  die  in  your  sins,"  now  He  positively  announces,  ''Before 
Abraham  was  I  am." 

Another  crisis  for  faith  and  unbelief  came. 

The  whole  movement  throughout  these  scenes  is  by  "divi- 
sions" and  crises. 

This  is  especially  the  case  at  this  Festival  of  Tabernacles. 
The  Light  shone  into  the  darkness  and  the  thoughts  of  many 
hearts  were  revealed.  Israel  did  not  know  Him  the  Glory 
predicted,  and  has  been  walking  in  darkness  ever  since ;  but 
the  day  will  come  when  the  splendor  of  this  Festival  will  be 
gladly  seen  to  pale  in  the  Light  of  the  Glory  to  whose  bright- 
ness the  Gentiles  and  their  kings  shall  comle.  All  nations  shall 
then  keep  this  Feast  of  Tabernacles  at  Jerusalem.  Israel  shall 
look  in  contrition  on  Him  whom  they  lifted  up  and  pierced. 
The  Truth  and  Spirit  of  Sonship  shall  make  them  free  indeed, 
Sons  of  God  freed  from  the  bondage  of  the  Devil,  the  Pharaoh 
of  the  Egypt  of  this  World. 

He  is  greater  than  Abraham.  They  shall  become  true 
sons  of  Abraham  rejoicing  in  the  Day  Abraham 
saw,  and  confess  the  Jesus  crucified  to  be  the  I  AM, 
who  is  and  who  was  and  who  has  come,  the  Almighty.  Deut. 
16:  13-15;  Hosea  12:  9;  Zech.  14:  14-18;  Isa.  60:  3;  66:  11; 
Zech.  12:  10;  Ex.  4:  22,  23;  Rev.  1:7;  Rev.  i :  4-8;  11-17. 

Sect.  3.     9:  i-io:  42. 
The  Testimony  of  the  sign  preluding  His  discourse  to  the 
blind   shepherds  of   Israel   concerning   Himself  as  the 
Door  and  the  good  Shepherd,  and  of  His  essential  one- 
ness with  the  Father. 

"I  and  my  Father  are  one." 

9:  1-34. 
I.     The  Light  of  the  Blind. 

He  leaves  them  in  their  darkness,  but  will  yet  in  passing 
give  them  one  startling  Sign  of  the  presence  of  the  Glory 
in  the  healing  of  the  blind  men.  He  is  greater  than  the  Fes- 
rival  lights  of  the  Temple,  and  than  the  Sun  itself. 

48 


From  this  turning  point  on  He  begins  to  speak  as  of  evening 
shadows  on  His  pathway,  and  of  an  ending  of  His  day  of 
work;  "I  must  work  the  works  of  him  that  sent  me,  while  it 
is  day ;  the  night  cometh  when  no  man  can  work ;"  and  yet  un- 
hasting  and  calm,  He  could  again  go  to  face  danger,  for  He 
could  answer,  "Are  there  not  twelve  hours  in  the  day?  If 
any  man  walk  in  the  day,  he  stumbleth  not,  because  he  seeth 
the  light  of  this  world.  But  if  a  man  walk  in  the  night,  he 
stumbleth  because  there  is  no  light  in  him."  All  things  had 
their  own  time  and  place  with  Him. 

9:  35-41. 

2.  To  the  blind  the  Son  of  God  brings  sight,  but  to  the 
seeing  the  Light  is  blinding. 

10:  1-21. 

3.  The  Shepherd  of  Israel,  and  the  Door  (pre-incarnate)  of 
all  true  shepherds. 

10:   1-6. 
a.     The  blind  hirelings  and   false  shepherds  know  not  the 
true  Shepherd;  the  sheep  know  Him. 
10:  7-8. 
h.     He  is  the  Door  of  all  true  shepherds;  the  acknowledged 
Jehovah,  and  they  know  His  Messiah. 
10:  8-10. 

c.  He  is  the  Door  of  salvation  and  Giver  of  life  abundantly. 

10:  11-15. 

d.  He  lays  down  His  life  for  the  sheep  as  the  Good  Shep- 
herd :  and  Shepherd  and  sheep  have  mutual  knowledge  akin  to 
that  of  the  Father  and  the  Son. 

10:  16. 

e.  The  flock  is  one  out  of  Israel  and  all  nations. 

10:  17-18. 

f.  The  voluntary  laying  down  of  life  by  the  Son  and  the 
love  of  the  Father  inseparable.  The  love  of  Father  and  Son 
is  all  redemptive. 

10:  19-21. 

g.  Another  schism  comes  between  faith  and  unbelief.  The 
Light  discloses;  and  the  final  word  "Can  a  demon  open  the 

49 


eyes  of  the  blind,''  fitly  closes  His  testimony  of  this  Festival 
of  lights. 

THE  MOULD. 

The  great  Prophet  has  indeed  appeared;  He  has  taught  in 
most  positive  and  public  manner;  in  the  Light  men  should 
have  seen  Hght;  He  has  sealed  His  teaching  with  the  Sign, 
the  healing  of  the  blind ;  He  has  foretold  the  Sign  of  the 
Smitten  Rock  and  of  the  Uplifted  One;  and  His  searching, 
startling  words,  like  light  exposing  all  things,  wake  faith  in 
some,  and  unbehef  in  others. 

id:  22-42. 
The  Testimony  to  Jesus  the  Dedicated  One  continued   in 
the   Feast  of   Dedication   to   its  cimacteric   great  self- 
revelation   of   Jesus   as   the   Shepherd    and    Fellow   of 
Jehovah. 

The  Festival  comes  a  few  weeks  later,  but  is  characterized 
by  the  same  features  of  light  and  joy.  These  Festivals  of 
Tabernacles  and  Dedication  were  celebrated  with  brilliant 
illumination  of  the  Temple  and  City ;  at  the  best  but  a  feeble 
and  melancholy  substitute  for  the  Glory  that  filled  the  Temple 
of  Solomon  at  its  Dedication  at  the  Feast  of  Tabernacles,  and 
a  sad  reminder  of  the  absence  of  that  Glory,  when  Judas  Mac- 
cabeus cleansed  the  later  temple  and  re-established  the  wor- 
ship of  Jehovah,  i  Kings  8:  i-ii ;  i  Mace.  4:  52-59;  2  Mace. 
10:  5-8. 

The  discourses  of  the  two  Feasts  virtually  are  one  in  kind. 
The  parable  of  the  Shepherd  seems  to  be  the  connecting  link. 
The  prophetic  and  priestly  relations  are  combined.  He  is 
greater  than  all  the  dedicated,  whether  sacrifices  or  sons. 

"It  was  winter:"  the  days  of  darkness  and  of  death;  but  the 
Light  of  Life  has  come  to  revive  all  with  the  heat  from  which 
nothing  can  be  hid.    Job  6:  17;  Psa.  19:  6;  Cant.  2:  11. 

Thrice  is  the  Lord  dedicated;  the  Shepherd  Himself  has 
come  to  lay  down  His  life  for  the  Sheep;   the  Father  sancti- 


fied  the  Son  and  sent  Him  into  the  World;  the  Jewish  Coun- 
cil devotes  Jesus  to  death.     Heb.  lo:  5-10;  Psa.  40:  6-8. 
10:  22-25. 

a.  The  suspense  of  faith  and  appeal  to  the  divine  works. 

10:26. 

b.  The  reason  for  the  unbelief. 

10:  27-29. 

c.  The  life  eternal  and  the  everlasting  security  of  the  sheep 
in  the  hands  of  the  Father  and  the  Son. 

10:  30-33. 

d.  The  climacteric  claim  and  final  great  self-revelation  to 
the  world:  '7  and  the  Father  are  one;"  the  words  of  the 
prophet  Zachariah  being  the  key  to  this  entire  section  of  the 
good  Shepherd  and  His  sheep : 

"Awake,  O  sword,  against  my  shepherd, 

"And  against  the  man  that  is  my  fellow ; 

"Saith  Jehovah  of  hosts."     13 :  7. 

He  of  whom  the  Jews  said  "Thou  being  a  man  makest  thy- 
self God"  was  verily  none  other,  Jehovah's  Shepherd  and 
Jehovah's  partner,  the  God  Man,  the  same  in  essence,  equal 
in  power  and  glory. 

10:  34-36. 

e.  The  argument  from  the  less  to  the  greater ;  this  was  the 
representative  Son  of  all  "the  Sons  of  the  Most  High,"  His 
very  equal,  "the  effulgence  of  his  glory  and  the  very  image 
of  his  substance."     Heb.  i:  1-14;  Ps.  82. 

Jesus  in  deepest  consciousness  of  His  priestly  offering  to  be 
made  and  of  the  real  meaning  of  a  shepherd's  calling,  testifies 
to  His  death  as  the  crowning  proof  of  His  obedience  and  deep- 
est ground  of  His  Father's  love.  He  is  greater  than  all  the 
Shepherds  of  Israel. 

10:37-38. 

f.  The  renewed  appeal  to  His  works ;  the  repetition  of  His 
great  claim ;  and  the  fresh  attempt  to  take  Him. 

10:  39-42. 

g.  The  escape  to  the  place  beyond  the  Jordan  where  believ- 
ing ones  utter  the  last  testimony  to  Bis  great  forerunner,  that 

SI 


he  without  any  "sign"  had  proved  the  truth  of  all  he  said  of 
Jesus,  for  now  the  whole  career  of  Jesus  was  itself  the  greatest 
of  all  "signs"  to  prove  that  God  had  sent  Him  as  the  Messiah 
and  Shepherd  of  Israel. 


Resume  of  the  Great  Self-revelations. 

They  progress  to  a  culmination.  It  is  one  and  the  same 
Person  before  He  took  upon  Himself  human  nature,  and  when 
on  earth  and  now  "in  the  glory  He  had  before  the  world  was." 

1.  Jesus  Christ  is  one  Person  belonging  to  two  realms  of 
being;  of  two  natures;  He  is  in  heaven  while  on  earth. 

His  is  at  last  the  name  and  knowledge  of  the  Holy  One 
for  which  Agur  in  his  oracle  inquired  in  vain  of  old.  John 
3:  13;  Prov.  30:  1-4. 

2.  Jesus  Christ  is  the  Son  of  the  Father  in  a  peculiar, 
unique,  all-excluding  sense.     "God  was  his  own  Father." 

He  is  equal  to  God  but  is  also  subordinate  in  this  great 
work  of  Redemption.     John  5 :  16-47. 

3.  Jesus  Christ  is  the '  Everexisting  One,  the  I  AM.  John 
8:  12-58. 

4.  Jesus  Christ  is  of  one  and  same  essence  of  the  Father, 
and  one  in  love  and  will  and  work,  and  one  in  power  to  pre- 
serve.   John  10:  22-38. 


Div.  VI. — 11:  1-54... The  Testimony  to  Jesus  the  Son  of 
God,  and  His  glory  at  the  raising  of  Lazarus.  This 
is  the  last  and  greatest  "sign"  of  the  Glory  of  the  Son 
of  God  to  the  World. 

Sect.  I.     II :  1-32. 
The  Testimony  preparatory  to  the  last  and  greatest  sign. 

II  :  i-io. 

1.  The  great  thing  is  the  Glory  or  manifestation  of  the  ex- 
cellencies of  Jesus  as  the  Son  of  God. 

His  movement  to  appointed  work  is  like  that  of  the  stars  He 
created,  "unhasting  and  unresting."  It  has  no  mistiming  and 
there  is  therefore  no  stumbling.  All  is  a  witness  of  a  majestic 
evenness  of  progression  in  accord  with  the  harmony  of  His 
whole  being. 

II :  11-16. 

2.  In  what  high  words  misunderstood  by  the  natural  man 
would  Jesus  speak  of  death. 

How  also  "flesh"  does  not  know  that  faith  in  Him  is  of 
more  importance  than  the  temporary  alleviation  of  human 
sorrow. 

And  yet  what  affection  for  Him,  willing  to  risk  life  with 
Him,  had  been  wrought  in  the  heart  of  one   (Thomas)   who 
knew  not  what  all  this  wondrous  mission  of  the  Son  of  God 
meant  until  he  beheld  the  Crucified  risen  from  the  dead. 
II :  17-32. 

3.  The  testimony  of  a  Martha  accords  with  the  very  testi- 
mony of  Jesus  that  God  always  heard  Him. 

On  hearing  the  great  word,  "I  am  the  Resurrection  and  the 
Life,"  she  does  confess  "I  (the  emphatic  word)  have  believed," 
but  the  faith  is  not  yet  perfect  as  seen  later  on  at  the  grave. 

The  testimony  of  Mary  is  that  of  Martha  as  to  our  Lord's 
power  over  death,  but  she  rose  not  up  to  meet  Him  until  He 
called  her ;  her  faith  was  deeper  than  her  sister's  in  waiting 
for  the  exact  time,  leaving  time  and  act  all  to  Him. 

53 


Sect.  2.     II :  33-44- 
The  Testimony  at  the  Doing  of  the  Sign. 

II :  33-38. 

1.  The  tears  of  Jesus  attest  the  reality  of  His  humanity.  In 
the  words  of  another,  "He  speaks  the  divine  word  that  raises 
the  dead  while  His  cheeks  are  still  wet  with  human  tears." 

At  sight  of  all  this  human  sorrow  and  misery  caused  by  sin 
and  death,  He  is  indignant  in  spirit,  troubles  Himself  in  in- 
most soul  as  betokened  by  bodily  tremor,  and  then  speaks  the 
word  of  power  that  penetrates  the  world  of  the  dead. 
11:  39-40. 

2.  The  maturing  of  Martha's  faith  by  the  word  of  Jesus 
concerning  the  glory  of  God  now  to  be  seen. 

11:  41-44- 

3.  The  prayer  of  the  Son  ever  heard  by  the  Father,  and  all 
to  beget  faith  in  Him. 

God  expects  man  to  do  what  man  can  do,  and  does  Himself 
what  only  God  can  do. 

"Loose  him  and  permit  him  to  withdraw"  is  suggestive. 

Sect.  3.     11:45-54. 
The  Testimony  of  the  Effect  of  the  Sign. 

11:  45-48. 

1.  The  involuntary  confession  of  the  rulers  of  Israel  to 
the  greatness  of  the  miracle. 

11:  49-50. 

2.  The  unconscious  prophecy  of  the  high  priest  a  culminat- 
ing word  of  the  significance  of  priestly  sacrifice  and  ceremonial ; 
its  inmost  truth  that  atonement  is  vicarious. 

11:  51-54- 

3.  In  their  zeal  for  their  place  and  nation,  for  their  purified 
and  renewed  temple,  they  ignorantly  devote  it  to  desolation 
and  ruins,  and  prepare  the  way  for  the  building  of  the  living 
stones,  the  scattered  children  of  God,  into  "an  holy  temple  in 
the  Lord"  to  be  filled  with  the  Spirit  of  Glory,  i  Cor.  3: 
16-17;  2  Cor.  6:  16;  Eph.  2:  22;  i  Pet.  2:5;  Isa.  28:  16. 

54 


But  the  Lord  died  for  Israel  too;  and  for  that  nation  a 
baptism  of  the  Holy  Spirit  is  waiting  to  organize  them  in 
due  time  into  one  people,  holy  and  blessed ;  Jehovah's  witness 
to  the  nations ;  and  of  whom  He  hath  said,  "The  people  which 
I  formed  for  myself,  that  they  may  set  forth  my  praise."  Is. 
43:  1-21. 

THE  MOULD. 

In  the  scenes  from  the  Dedication  to  His  last  Passover,  the 
priestly  Prophet  is  Present;  the  Act  is  the  teaching  of  the 
same  truths  of  tne  beginning  with  greatest  freedom  and  plain- 
ness, the  light  is  most  intense;  the  Sign  is  given  in  the  death 
and  resurrection  of  Lazarus ;  it  is  the  pledge  of  His  power  to 
lay  down  and  take  up  again  His  own  Hfe,  and  that  He  is  the 
Resurrection  and  the  Life ;  and  it  manifested  the  Glory  of  the 
Son  as  one  with  the  Father;  He  speaks  the  wonderful  Word 
"I  and  the  Father  are  one,"  and  the  Jews  took  up  stones  again 
to  stone  him.    Rom.  4:  4. 


DIv.  VII. — 11:55-12;   50.     The  Testimony  of  Jesus  to  Him- 
self at  the  Third  Passover  as  the  King  of  Israel. 

A  King:  One  who  rules  for  God  over  men. 
I  Sam.  13:  13-14;  2  Sam.  23:  3;  i  Ch.  29:  23;  2  Ch.  19:  6; 
Rom.  13:  I. 

The  self-revelation  of  the  Son  of  God  as  King,  the  King  of 
Glory.     12:  i-ii. 

Sect.  I. — II :  55,  12:  19. 
Of  the  anointing  and  royal  entry  and  futile  commandment 
of  the  rulers. 

II  :  55,  12:  II. 

1.  At  his  anointing  the  chief  priests  and  the  Pharisees  give 
commandment  to  "all  the  congregation  of  Israel"  to  take  the 
Paschal  Lamb  out  of  the  Flock ;  but  they  know  not  what  they 
do.     Ps.  24:  7-10;  Zech.  9:9;  Ex.  12:  3-6;  Acts  3:  13-18. 

The  Dedicated  One  is  anointed  for  the  burial.  He  who  had 
come  not  to  be  ministered  unto,  but  to  minister,  cannot  deny 
His  conscious  dignity  as  the  King  of  Glory,  and  therefore  can- 
not refuse  festal  service  and  royal  ointment  and  perfume. 
"While  the  Kjng  sitteth  at  his  table  my  spikenard  sendeth 
forth  the  smell  thereof."  He  knew  too  well  whence  He  had 
come  and  whither  He  was  going,  and  He  delighted  in  this 
rich  and  fragrant  foretaste  of  the  personal  love  the  kingly 
children  of  God  would  forever  show  Him. 

The  priestly  One  who  lays  down  His  life  for  his  own  is  the 
King:  He  who  serves  the  most  is  the  greatest.    He  is  greater 
than  all  poor  in  his  poverty.     Matt.  20:  28,  16:  21-26;  John  12: 
35-8;  Heb.  1 :  9,  7:  1-2;  Cant,  i:  12. 
II :  12-19. 

2.  Of  His  Royal  Entry  into  the  Holy  City. 

The  Prince  of  Peace  comes  having  salvation ;  the  King  of 
Israel  seeking  the  throne  of  His  Father  David.  For  three 
days  Jesus  mysteriously  has  His  own  way  in  the  City  and 
Temple. 

S6 


Sect.  2. — 12:  20-36. 

Of  the  presence  of  Greeks  as  the  representatives  and  earnest 
of  a  world-wide  salvation,  while  God  hides  His  face  from 
blinded  Israel.    . 

The  world-wide  salvation  is  seen  in  the  seeking  and  coming 
of  the  Greeks  to  believing  Israelites  to  find  their  King.  The 
whole  scene  of  this  suffering  and  exalted  Messiah  in  the  midst 
of  Jew  and  Gentile  is  prophecy  in  a  symbol.     Isa.  2:  1-5,  60:  3. 

"Draw  all" — without  distinction,  not  without  exception. 

The  Prince  of  Life  was  about  to  cast  out  the  prince  of  this 
world ;  for  this  the  Son  of  God  had  left  the  Glory  and  equality 
with  God,  but  the  great  mysterious  circuit  from  the  Glory 
to  the  Glory  must  pass  through  the  sorrows  and  darkness  of 
death  and  the  under  world.  The  way  to  the  Throne  was  by 
the  Cross.  The  King  must  first  offer  as  Priest.  In  the  very 
Hosannas  of  the  multitude  was  heard  the  undertone  of  the 
sorrow  by  which  alone  salvation  came.  As  once  before  on 
the  "holy  mount"  the  three  in  glory  spoke  of  the  decease 
(exodous)  He  should  accomplish  at  Jerusalem,  so  again  the 
brief  hour  of  royal  honor  and  triumphal  progress  is  seen  rising 
and  setting  in  the  gloom  of  a  lost  world.  Heb.  2:  14;  Phil. 
2:  5-11;  Psa.  16:  8-11;  Acts  2:  24-28;  Luke  9:  30-31. 
Sect.  3—12 :  37-50. 

Sect.  3. — Of  the  final  observation  of  John  and  summary  of 

Jesus  as  to  His  ministry. 

Jesus  had  now  appeared  as  each  Passover  "drew  nigh"  the 
Prophet,  Priest  and  Kmg ;  His  teaching  and  acts  correspondent 
and  congruous  to  each. 

The  result  of  all  was  now  to  be  seen;  three  years  before  it 
had  been  written,  "Many  believed  in  his  name  when  they  saw 
the  signs  which  he  did,"  2 :  23 ;  now  it  is  written,  "But  though 
he  had  done  so  many  signs  before  them,  yet  they  believed  not 
on  him,"  12:  37.  Professed  faith  had  been  tested  and  much 
proved  without  root,  and  without  fruit. 

Withdrawing  Himself  from  them  He  reveals  the  conscious 
57 


dignity  of  His  Person  and  the  grace  and  judgment  of  His 
Mission — in  His  final  words  as  the  One  to  be  lifted  up,  the 
Light  of  the  World,  the  King  whose  glory  Isaiah  beheld,  the 
Judging  Word,  the  Life  Eternal. 

THE  MOULD. 

The  Prince  of  Peace,  the  King  of  Glory  is  Present;  His  act, 
the  royal  entrance  into  Jerusalem,  the  City  of  the  Great  King ; 
His  Sign,  death  and  resurrection,  the  Corn  of  Wheat,  the  lift- 
ing up  from  the  earth :  the  Word  spoken  and  the  prayer  are 
evidence  as  from  the  beginning  that  He  and  the  Father  are  one, 
so  that  what  glorifies  the  one  glorifies  the  Other ;  and  all  is 
confirmed  by  the  voice  from  heaven  whither  the  Son  was  about 
to  return;  the  Effect  is  wonder  and  old  questionings  to  strug- 
gling faith  and  unbelief.  Ps.  2:  1-12,  24:  i-io;  Isa.  6-1,  9-6; 
Bech.  9:9;  Matt.  5:  35,  Ps.  48:  2;  Num.  20:  16;  John  3:  14. 


PART  III.     Chs.   13-17.     "Leave  the  World" 

The  Testimony  to  Jesus,  the  first-born  of  nnany  brethren  to 
His  chosen  and  tried  and  confessed  disciples  as  He  is 
about  to  go  to  the  Father. — "The  Upper  Room." 

"But  as  many  as  received  Him  to  them  gave  Hie  the  right  to 
become  children  of  God,  even  to  them  that  believe  on 
His  name." 

Jesus  withdrawn  from  the  world  whose  day  of  teaching  was 
now  over  and  whose  Light  had  now  departed  from  them, 
speaks  freely  to  His  beloved  disciples  of  His  returning  to  the 
Father. 

They  who  believed  on  His  name,  on  what  He  essentially  is 
as  made  manifest,  received  from  Him  the  fullest  inmost  revela- 
tion of  Himself. 

And  all  this  is  recorded  in  the  section  of  the  wonderful 
Scriptures  beginning  with  the  scene  of  the  feet  washing. 

Here  to  His  tried  and  chosen  disciples,  after  Judas  was  re- 
moved from  the  Light  and  went  out  into  the  darkness  ("and 
it  was  night")  He  makes  fully  known  the  divinity  and  majesty 
of  His  person ;  in  His  conscious  oneness  with  God  in  glorifica- 
tion, in  claiming  to  be  the  way  by  whom  the  Life  and  Truth 
of  God  come  to  men,  and  by  whom  men  come  to  the  Father; 
in  His  promise  of  the  Holy  Spirit  thereby  claiming  to  be  the 
co-equal  of  the  Father  in  sending  the  Comforter  ("another 
comforter"  co-equal  with  Jesus)  ;  in  the  High  priestly  prayer 
whose  answer  came  in  the  gift  and  presence  of  the  Holy  Spirit 
in  believers  now,  and  as  the  earnest  of  the  glory  to  be  revealed 
in  them  hereafter. 


DIv.  I. — 13:  1-15;  16.  The  Testimony  of  Jesus  while  show- 
ing His  disciples  their  special  relations  both  to  each 
other  and  to  Hiimself,  because  of  His  going  to  the 
Father. 

Sect  I.— 13:  i-ii. 
The  Testimony  of  the  Feet  Washing. 

In  His  conscious  oneness  with  God  He  stoops  down  to  do 
the  service  of  a  menial,  washing  their  feet,  and  so  sets  them 
one  more  example  of  priestly  love  and  humility  before  He  is 
lifted  up. 

The  words  "Now  before,"  13  i,  imply  that  Jesus  knowing 
all  the  Passover  meant  and  that  through  its  fulfilment  lay  the 
way  of  return  to  God,  moved  by  love  comes  out  of  His  re- 
tirement to  tell  them  of  what  would  be  in  His  absence  as  made 
known  in  the  sublime  and  affecting  communications  of  this 
memorable  night. 

Sect.  2. — 13  :   12-20. 

The  feet-washing  a  perpetual  example  of  love  and  humility. 

The  sacred  disclosures  concerning  His  going  to  the  Father 
withheld  until  Judas  is  separated  from  the  company. 

He  sends  forth  Judas  and  then  in  view  of  the  mutual  glory  of 
the  Father  and  the  Son  says,  "Little  children,  yet  a  little 
while  I  am  with  you.  Ye  shall  seek  me,  and  as  I  said  unto  the 
Jews,  whither  I  go  ye  cannot  come;  so  now  I  say  to  you." 

"Unto  the  Jews," — how  distant  the  world  already,  how  strange 
His  own  people,  who  received  Him  not. 
Sect.  4—13:  31-38. 

The  immediate  and  exultant  announcement  of  His  glorifica- 
tion, and  of  the  new  commandment  to  His  disciples,  interrupted 
by  the  sudden  question  of  Peter  and  the  answer  of  Jesus. 

He  separates  with  the  discerning  word,  "'Thdt  thou  doest 
do  quickly,"  Judas  the  son  of  darkness  ("and  it  was  night") 
from  the  children  of  light  and  their  fellowship.  Jesus  exults  in 
spirit  for  a  m!oment  as  if  already  glorified,  and  then  turning 
again  to  the  priestly  brethren,  mindful  it  would  be  but  a  little 

60 


while  before  He  would  enter  into  His  glory,  He  gives  them 
the  new  commandment  whereby  they  may  be  known  as  the 
Sons  of  God  who  are  also  on  their  way  to  their  Father's 
House. 

With  the  departure  of  Judas,  the  day  closed,  as  it  is  written 
"and  it  was  night."     13 :  30,  ii :  9,  9:  4. 

The  searching  Word  also  warns  Peter  for  the  last  time.  He 
knows  not  whither  he  is  going.  "He  that  walketh  in  darkness 
knoweth  not  whither  he  goeth." 

In  13 :  31  the  goal  of  the  great  progress  is  at  once  an- 
nounced, and  in  17:  1-3  it  is  announced  again. 

Sect.  5. — 14:  i-ii. 

The  second  and  plain  announcement  of  His  going  to  the 
Father,  and  its  objects,  interrupted  by  the  questionings  of  sad 
and  bewildered  disciples. 

The  "way"  is  short,  14:  6,  according  to  14:  lo-ii;  the 
Father  is  in  the  Son  and  the  Son  is  in  the  Father. 

Sect.  6. — 14:  12-31. 

The  announcement  of  the  greater  works  to  be  done  by  the 
disciples  because  of  His  going  to  the  Father  and  sending  the 
Holy  Spirit.  Love,  and  the  keeping  of  Christ's  words,  the 
condition  of  the  Spirit's  action. 

The  Princely  one  speaks  like  one  familiar  with  His  Father's 
House  and  its  many  mansions.  The  Priest  having  offered 
one  sacrifice  for  sins,  of  ever-continuing  efficacy,  is  about  to 
sit  down  at  the  right  hand  of  the  Majesty  on  high. 

But  though  going  away  He  is  coming  again. 

He  is  going  away  to  prepare  a  place  for  the  brethren  troubled 
and  perplexed  at  His  sayings,  but  will  come  again  to  take  them 
there. 

Whence  He  came,  the  disciples  ask  not;  that  they  knew, 
unlike  the  unbelieving  world;  but  they  would  not  have  H5m 
go  away,  not  knowing  the  need  and  expediency;  they  knew 
not  whither  He  was  going ;  they  thought  the  Messiah  when  He 
came  would  "abide  on  the  earth  forever." 

61 


Sect.  7—15:  1-16. 

The  parable  of  the  vine  and  the  branches  illustrating  the 
foregoing,  and  the  growth  of  "the  fruit  of  the  Spirit." 

They  can  glorify  the  Father  only  by  bringing  forth  much 
fruit,  and  to  do  this  must  abide  in  the  Son.  Apart  from  Him 
they  have  neither  light  nor  food,  knowledge  nor  strength  to 
serve.  Abiding  in  Him,  it  will  be  a  fellowship  of  love  and 
joy.  As  friends  of  God  like  Abraham  He  had  told  them  all, 
and  now  fruitful  service  should  abound.  Col.  2 :  6-9 ;  Eph. 
4 :  6-9 ;  I  John  2  :  24-28. 

It  is  very  suggestive  that  from  the  scene  of  the  feet  washing 
to  that  of  the  high  priestly  prayer,  is  an  evident  progress  from 
the  Laver  to  the  Golden  Altar  of  the  Father's  House ;  and  the 
parable  of  the  Vine  and  its  branches  corresponds  in  such 
progress  to  the  Vestibule  of  the  Temple. 

"The  Vestibule  was  wid-er  than  the  rest  of  the  House ;  its 
front  was  adorned  with  a  golden  vine  of  colossal  proportions." 


Oiv.   II. — 15:    17-16;    33.     The  Testimony  to  Jesus  In    His 
predictions  of  the  world's  treatment  of  His  disciples. 

Radically  different  in  nature  is  the  world  opposed  to  them, 
and  especially  the  more  identified  Christians  are  with  Christ  in 
life  and  conduct  and  testimony,  but  the  Comforter  is  their  stay 
and  solace. 

Sect.  I. — 15:  17-16;  4- 

The  announcement  of  the  unjustifiable  hate  of  the  world 
towards  disciples  and  Himself;  and  the  promise  of  the  help 
of  the  Spirit  of  Truth. 

To  make  all,  salvation,  righteousness,  life  etenal,  depend 
upon  faith  in  Jesus  of  Nazareth  rouses  the  hate  of  the 
natural  man.  The  "world"  will  be  religious  and  moral  and 
admire  Christ  just  short  of  the  point  of  faith  in  Him  as  a 
Saviour,  but  there  it  stops.  These  three,  the  World,  Satan 
and  Antichrist  deny  and  hate  the  fact  that  the  love  of  God  is 
shown  chiefly  and  necessarily  in  giving  His  Son  as  a  propitia- 
tion for  sins.  And  all  this  makes  the  hate  of  the  world  cause- 
less; but  it  discloses  its  innate  depravity  and  its  ignorance 
of  God. 

Sect.  2. — 16:   5-15. 

The  further  and  third  announcement  of  His  going  to  the 
Father,  and  of  its  relation  to  the  coming  of  the  Comforter. 

To  overcome  such  hate  and  opposition  of  the  natural  man 
the  Spirit  will  be  sent.  He  will  testify,  convict  and  con- 
vince. And  for  the  disciples  too  He  will  glorify  Christ  and 
lead  into  all  the  truth. 

Sect.  3—16:  16-33. 

The  parabolic  reiteration  of  His  going  to  the  Father  and  of 
its  consequences,  and  the  final  plain  declaration  whence  He 
had  come  and  whither  He  was  going  and  its  effect  on  the 
disciples. 

This  ignorance  of  the  whither  will  remain  until  the  Spirit 
of  Truth  has  come;  but  a  partial  gleam  of  the  light  passes 
through  their  hearts  just  before  Jesus  offers  the  priestly  prayer. 

63 


"The  Father  himself  loveth  you  because  ye  have  loved  me,  and 
have  believed  that  I  came  out  fom  God.  I  came  forth  from 
the  Father  and  am  come  into  the  world;  again,  I  leave  the 
world  and  go  unto  the  Father.  His  disciples  said  unto  him,  lo, 
now  speakest  thou  plainly  and  speakest  no  proverb.  Now  we 
are  sure  that  thou  knowest  all  things  and  needest  not  that 
any  man  should  ask  thee ;  by  this  we  believe  that  thou  comest 
forth  from  God," 

Jesus  wil  not  need  to  make  request  of  the  Father  for  any  one 
who  has  made  request  of  Jesus,  for  they  are  one.     i6:  26,  30. 

But  though  they  now  at  last  believed  whither  He  was  going, 
they  knew  not  and  would  not  believe  the  way  was  through 
death  and  resurrection,  as  Jesus  at  once  implies  in  His  an- 
swer, and  as  their  subsequent  forsaking  at  His  arrest  proved. 

The  Spirit  of  Truth  has  not  yet  been  given  them ;  the  Light 
is  not  in  them,  the  Holy  House  of  God,  and  the  first  need  of 
a  house  is  light;  their  eyes  are  holden.  i  John  2:  20,  2:  27; 
Ex.  40:  24-25. 

They  shall  indeed  be  the  Candlestick  and  the  Light  of  the 
World,  but  the  Holy  Oil  has  not  yet  manifested  Itself  in  light ; 
they  shall  abound  in  blossom  and  fruit,  but  the  life  of  the 
pomegranate  tree  and  of  the  many  branched  Vine  is  yet  to  flow 
through  them;  Witnesses  of  Christ,  but  the  Great  Witness  has 
not  yet  testified  of  Him  to  them;  they  shall  preach  the  gospel 
to  the  world,  but  the  convicting  Spirit  has  not  yet  come ;  they 
shall  teach  and  comfort  the  brethren,  but  the  Comforter  has  not 
yet  appeared  to  teach  them;  they  shall  eat  the  priestly  bread 
of  fellowship  with  God  and  drink  the  wine  of  joy,  but  there  is 
no  light  for  them  in  the  Holy  Room  to  see  the  one  Loaf,  but 
when  He  shall  have  blessed  and  broken  and  given  unto  them 
their  eyes  shall  be  opened  to  know  both  Him  and  each  other; 
they  shall  offer  up  incense  of  priestly  prayer  and  intercession, 
but  they  see  not  the  golden  altar  nor  the  sprinkled  blood; 
like  one  of  old  they  are  as  in  a  dream  and  will  not  be  able 
to  say  until  the  morning  light  awakens  them :  "This  is  none 
other  but  the  House  of  God  and  this  is  the  Gate  of  Heaven." 

64 


Div.  III. — 17:  1-26.  The  Testimony  of  the  prayer  of  inter- 
cession. In  this  is  revealed  the  sublime  consciousness 
of  being  equal  with  the  Father  in  power  and  in  glory, 
the  revealing  Word,  the  priestly  intercessor,  the  Kingly 
One,  having  "power  over  all  flesh,"  the  Giver  of  Life 
Eternal. 

In  the  prayer  all  the  previous  teaching  concerning  His  Per- 
son and  the  whence  and  the  whither  is  consummated.  The  true 
God  can  be  known  only  through  Jesus  Christ  whom  He  sent; 
He  is  the  Giver  of  Life  Eternal;  He  had  co-equal  glory  with 
the  Father  before  the  world  was ;  He  manifested  the  name 
Father  to  the  disciples ;  they  remain  awhile  in  the  world,  He 
goes  to  the  Father;  and  through  them  the  world  will  know 
the  Father  sent  Him  when  the  sons  of  God  are  made 
manifest  in  the  glory  they  shall  share  with  him. 

Sect.  I.— 17:  1-5. 

I.  The  Prayer  in  relation  to  the  Son  and  His  preincamate 
Glory. 

To  glorify  is  to  make  manifest  excellencies,  virtues,  attri- 
butes. "The  Glory  of  God  is  the  revelation  of  God  in  the 
totality  of  His  attributes." 

The  preincarnate  glory  of  the  Son  is  now  His  as  incarnate 
forever. 

But  especially  in  the  purpose  and  work  of  redemption  is 
seen  the  mutual  glory  of  God  and  of  the  Son  as  incarnate; 
and  Jesus  could  say  exultingly  in  view  of  the  cross  and  of  all 
that  lay  beyond,  "Now  is  the  Son  of  man  glorified  and  God  is 
glorified  in  him.  If  God  be  glorified  in  him,  God  shall  also 
glorify  him  in  himself,  and  shall  straightway  glorify  him." 

The  gift  of  the  Spirit  was  both  the  witness  of  such  glory 
and  the  answer  to  this  prayer  of  intercession ;  and  all  was  in- 
separable from  the  work  Jesus  came  to  do.  "I  in  them"  is 
the  answer  to  the  prayer.     Acts  3:  13,  2:  33;  John  12:  23-28. 


Sect.  2. — 17:  6-19. 

The  prayer  in  relation  to  the  disciples  in  the  world. 

In  receiving  the  Son  believers  receive  the  Father  as  to  His 
"name,"  "words,"  "all  things." 

The  prayer  is  for  them  as  equally  the  Father's  and  the  Son's. 

In  the  marvelous  "name"  Father  with  all  its  excellencies, 
virtues,  attributes  made  manifest  by  the  Son  they  are  kept. 

As  sons  of  a  heavenly  birth  and  nature  they  are  "not"  of  the 
world,  though  in  it,  and  kept  from  the  evil  one,  and  as  such 
they  too  are  sanctified  and  sent  into  the  world  on  a  divine 
mission. 

Sect.  3. — 17:  20-26. 

The  prayer  in  relation  to  the  whole  church  of  first-born 
sons. 

Believers  in  the  Son  of  God  are  one  Body  of  first-born  ones ; 
beloved  as  He  is ;  to  share  His  glory  and  be  where  He  is.  The 
ever-continuing  revelation  of  the  Father's  name  is  made  known 
by  His  Spirit  ("I  in  them")  pouring  forth  the  love  of  God  in 
their  hearts.    Rom.  5:  5. 

The  chrism  of  glory  came  from  the  glorified  Christ. 


66 


PART  IV.     Chs.  18-20.     "Go  to  the  Father." 

The  Testimony  of  Jesus,  the  Christ,  the  Son  of  God,  on  His 
going  to  the  Father  through  the  fulfilment  of  type  and 
prediction  in  crucifixion  and  resurrection. 

"His  ozcn  received  him  not." 

The  self-revelations  in  this  hour  of  the  great  Fulfilment  of 
One  who  was  and  is  both  God  and  man. 

Div.  I. — 18:  1-19;  16.  The  Testimony  of  Jesus  in  His  volun- 
tary surrender  to  "the  princes  of  this  world." 

Sect.    I.— 18:    i-ii. 
Before  the  soldiers  in  the  garden. 

In  this  part  of  the  gospel  describing  the  arrest  and  cruci- 
fixion all  is  pervaded  by  this  presence  of  the  divine  majesty  of 
His  person.  No  kiss  of  a  Judas  is  mentioned,  no  agony  of 
Gethsemane  is  therein  depicted,  no  word  is  heard  of  legions  of 
angels  to  deliver,  but  th*'  impotence  of  men  is  seen  who  fall  to 
the  ground  at  the  mere  look  and  answer  of  infinite  calmness 
of  One  whose  life  no  man  could  take  from  Him;  and  all  the 
confessions  before  High  Priest  and  before  the  governor  be- 
token the  consciousness  of  the  Only  Begotten,  the  Lord  of 
Glory,  the  King  of  Israel,  on  whom  the  princes  of  this  world 
would  not  have  dared  to  lay  their  hands  had  it  not  been  writ- 
ten, "Lo,  I  come  to  do  thy  will,  O  God."  Ps.  40:  6-8;  Heb. 
10:  5-10. 

Sect.  2. — 18:  12-27. 

Before  Caiaphas  and  Israel,  and  of  the  fulfilled  prediction 
concerning  Peter. 

From  the  Jews  comes  the  confession  true  from  the  lip  but 
false  from  the  heart  until  Jesus  the  Messiah  returns.  "We 
have  no  King  but  Caesar."    Then  deceived  and  betrayed  by  the 

67 


last  world  ruler,  but  at  length  delivered  shall  they  look  upon 
Him  whom  they  pierced,  their  paschal  Lamb ;  and  hail  Him 
as  their  King :  "Blessed  is  he  that  cometh  in  the  name  of  the 
Lord." 

Sect.  3. — 18:  28 — 19:  16. 

Before  Pilate  and  the  world-power. 

To  a  Pilate  once  more  comes  the  word  congruous  with  time 
and  place,  "Thou  sayest  that  I  am  a  king.  To  this  end  was 
I  born  and  for  this  cause  came  I  into  the  world,  that  I  should 
bear  witness  unto  the  truth.  Every  one  that  is  of  the  truth 
heareth  my  voice."  Pilate  heard  Him  not,  though  confessing 
Jesus  to  be  innocent  and  faultless ;  and  to  His  troubled  ques- 
tion "whence  art  thou,"  Jesus  gave  him  no  answer. 


Div.  II. — 19:    17-42.     The  Testimony  of  the  crucifixion  and 
the  burial. 

All  is  characterized  by  marks  of  royalty  and  divinity. 
Sect.  I. — 19:   17-30. 

The  unconscious  testimony  of  the  Gentile  world-power,  and 
of  the  soldiers  fulfilling  prophecy,  in  contrast  with  the  serene, 
self-conscious  death  of  the  Son  of  God. 

Pilate,  the  representative  of  the  world-power,  temporarily  on 
Israel's  throne,  becomes  the  conscious  witness  of  the  truth  of 
His  Messianic  Kingship  in  writing,  "Jesus  the  Nazarene  the 
King  of  the  Jews,"  and  in  saying  in  spite  of  Jewish  protest, 
"What  I  have  written  I  have  written ;"  and  in  His  death  Jesus 
retaining  His  spirit  until  He  knew  all  things  had  been  finished, 
reveals  almighty  power  and  the  calmness  of  One  Who  knew 
all  that  had  been  written  of  Him  from  of  old. 

And  yet  mingling  with  His  Majesty  what  tender  human- 
heartedness  in  commending  His  mother  to  the  care  of  the  dis- 
ciple whom  He  loved. 

Sect.  2.— 19:  31-37. 

Of  the  unconscious  fulfillment  of  Scriptures  by  the  inconsis- 
tently scrupulous  Jews. 

68 


How  divine  prediction  and  human  agency  met  in  fulfillment. 
and  the  worthiness  of  the  great  sacrifice  was  attested  in  that 
"a  bone  of  him  was  not  broken." 

Sect.  3.— 19:  38-42. 

Of  the  manner  and  place  of  His  burial. 

In  His  burial  and  grave,  moreover,  all  is  fragrance  and 
freshness,  betokening  the  presence  of  One  Who  is  the  Life  of 
a  new  Springtide,  the  Resurrection,  the  Firstborn  from  the 
dead,  the  Head  of  the  New  Creation. 

His  dignity  is  attested  by  the  minute  fulfillment  of  the  typical 
and  prophetic  Scriptures,  and  by  the  honor  and  royalty  of  His 
burial  and  new  sepulcher. 


DIv.  Ml. — 20:  1-31.     The  Testimony  of  the  resurrection  and 
of  the  two  manifestations. 

"Yet  a  little  while  and  the  world  seeth  me  no  more;  but  ye 
see  me ;  because  I  live  ye  shall  live  also." 

Jesus  in  rising  from  the  dead  proves  Himself  to  be  the 
Resurrection  and  the  Life ;  the  Firstborn  of  many  brethren ;  the 
Giver  of  the  Peace  with  God  as  crucified  for  sinners,  and  the 
Giver  of  the  Peace  of  God  as  glorified  with  the  Father;  the 
one  coming  with  the  Spirit,  the  other  coming  with  the  blood. 
This,  the  first  manifestation,  is  followed  by  the  second,  when 
the  majesty  of  His  adorable  Person  is  attested  by  a  Thomas 
with  the  "my  Lord  and  my  God;"  and  at  the  third  Jesus  re- 
veals Himself  as  out  of  the  unseen  Holy  Place,  having  all 
power  in  heaven  and  in  earth,  and  with  His  mighty,  wise  and 
loving  "I  will"  directing  and  controlling  all  the  events  of  His 
Church  and  of  individual  saints,  whether  servmg,  suffering  or 
waiting  for  His  return. 

Sect.  I. — 20:  I -18. 
Of  the  fact  and  manner  of  His  resurrection,  and  in  the  an- 
nouncement to  Mary  of  His  ascension  to  the  Father. 

69 


Jesus  reveals  who  He  is  in  the  unhaste  and  majesty  of  His 
rising;  in  the  appearing  of  the  angels  in  the  empty  tomb;  and 
in  the  words  to  Mary  weeping  over  a  dead  hope,  when  first  He 
could  call  His  disciples  "brethren."  Not  until  He  had  re- 
deemed them  and  risen  from  the  dead  could  He  call  them  such. 
Gal.  4:  1-7. 

Sect.  2. — 2.0'.   19-23. 
Of  the  first  and  symbolic  Manifestation  to  the  disciples. 

At  last  they  understood  that  the  return  to  God  was  by  way 
of  the  death  of  the  cross  and  through  resurrection;  now  they 
knew  the  way  and  the  whither;  now  they  not  only  believed 
that  He  had  come  from  God  and  had  gone  to  God,  but  also 
what  His  once  mysterious  announcements  of  "rising  from  the 
dead"  meant.  Evermore,  Jesus  was  indeed  the  Messiah,  but 
a  glorified  One,  and  from  Whom  only  as  glorified  could  life 
eternal  and  the  Holy  Spirit  and  all  spiritual  blessings  come. 

Ascended  on  high  He  would  send  forth  the  Mighty  Breath 
of  Pentecost  and  the  peace  of  a  Son  of  God  in  which  they 
could  face  all  opposition  in  their  service.  In  symbolic  act  He 
signifies  that  the  peace  He  leaves  is  that  of  a  forgiven  sinner 
and  ever  to  be  associated  with  Him  as  crucified,  and  the 
peace  He  gives  is  that  of  a  Son  of  God  and  inseparable  from 
the  Spirit  to  be  poured  out,  when  the  day  of  service  began 
and  sins  were  remitted  or  retained  thro'  faith  or  thro'  unbelief. 

Sect.  3—30:  24-31. 
Of  the  second  and  symbolic  Manifestation  to  Thomas. 

The  first  Manifestation  relates  to  the  Church,  the  second 
to  Israel  as  represented  by  Thomas  in  his  former  unbelief  and 
doubt. 

But  also  then  on  seeing  Him  Whom  they  pierced  there  will 
be  no  doubt  of  His  deity  and  lordship. 

But  "blessed  are  they  that  have  not  seen  and  yet  have  be- 
lieved." 

70 


And  now  note  here  how  at  this  very  conclusion  of  the  Gos- 
pel the  final  testimony  of  a  Thomas  confirms  and  consum- 
mates all  the  preceding,  and  links  back  his  "My  Lord  and  my 
God"  to  the  opening  affirmation  "In  the  beginning  was  the 
Word,  and  the  Word  was  with  God,  and  the  Word  was  God." 

20:  28. 
The  intent  of  this  record  of  the  signs  of  the  Glory  of  Jesus 
the  Christ,  the  Son  of  God. 

All  the  signs,  all  the  words,  all  the  works,  all  the  revelations, 
all  the  unfoldings  and  unveilings  recorded  in  this  Scripture 
of  the  Truth  have  the  one  blessed,  gracious  intent  that  who- 
soever through  them  believeth  that  Jesus  is  the  Christ,  the  Son 
of  God,  hath  life  in  His  Name,  the  eternal  Life. 

"Herein  was  the  love  of  God  manifested  in  our  case,  that 
God  hath  sent  his  only  begotten  Son  into  the  world  that  we 
might  live  through  him." 

"Herein  is  love,  not  that  we  loved  God,  but  that  he  loved  us 
and  sent  his  Son  to  be  the  propitiation  for  our  sins."  I  John 
4:  9-10. 


n 


21 :  I -25. 
THE  EPILOGUE. 

"With  the  Glory  *  *  *  before  the  world  was." 
"If  I  wilV' 
The  Testimony  of  the  symbolic  third  manifestation  of  the 
glorified  Son  of  God  as  directing  and  allotting  from  out 
of  the  Unseen  Holiest,  the  service  and  suffering  and 
waiting  of  Hiis  church  in  the  world  of  nations  until  He 
comes  again. 

The  final  manifestation  is  indicative  of  His  power  in  the  min- 
istry of  His  Church;  of  His  grace  in  their  refreshment  and 
fellowship;  of  His  priestly  mercy  and  power  in  the  reinstate- 
ment of  the  erring  and  fallen ;  in  His  absolute  power  and  dis- 
posal of  all  things  and  persons  until  He  comes  again,  and  in 
the  infinite  possibilities  of  the  revelation  of  Him.  the  Word 
of  all  the  words  of  God,  past,  present  and  to  come. 

To  the  disciples  by  the  sea,  the  mysterious  Form  appears,  but 
"none  of  the  disciples  durst  ask  him  who  art  thou?  Know- 
ing that  it  was  the  Lord ;"  the  signs  of  the  glory  He  was  wont 
to  show  "while  He  was  yet  with  them,"  were  too  unmistak- 
able ;  and  whither  He  had  gone  was  too  evident  from  the  word 
implying  whence  He  again  would  come:  "If  I  will  that  He 
tarry  till  I  come,  what  is  that  to  thee ;  follow  thou  me." 
21 :  1-14. 

1.  The  Lord  wills  as  to  Corporate  Service. 

The  fishing  He  directs  represents  all  missionary  and 
evangelistic  ministry  of  the  Church  whose  number  of  com- 
pleteness is  symbolized  by  the  seven  disciples  present. 

He  provided  also  all  refreshment  after  toil. 

21 :  15-19. 

2.  The  Lord  wills  as  to  individual  Service,  and  as  to  gifts 
and  experiences  of  sorrow  and  suffering. 

72 


In  Peter's  reinstatement  it  is  seen  how  the  Lord  allots  all 
pastoral  service  in  relation  to  all  classes,  to  "lambs"  or  the 
"little  children"  of  John's  epistle,  to  the  "sheep"  or  "fathers," 
to  the  "sheeplings"  or  "young  men." 

And  also  it  is  deeply  significant  of  the  Lord's  power  and 
purpose  to  overrule  human  sorrow  and  pain  and  disappoint- 
ment to  His  glory  and  to  the  good  of  His  Church  in  the  case 
of  Peter  who  was  to  suffer  and  die  on  the  cross  before  the 
Lord  returned  for  His  own ;  for  it  is  this  apostle  who  wrote 
the  tender,  compassionate,  admonitory  epistle  which  ever  con- 
trasts present  sufferings  with  the  glory  about  to  be  revealed.  I 
Peter  i  :  3-9;  5:  1-4. 

21 :  20-23. 

3.  The  Lord  wills  as  to  patient,  ardent  waiting  for  His  re- 
turn. 

"The  disciple  whom  Jesus  loved,"  and  who  according  to 
the  thinking  of  "the  flesh"  might  be  deemed  to  be  the  one  first 
to  die  and  be  with  the  Lord,  outlives  all,  and  even  to  behold 
the  foreboding  shadow  of  the  Antichrist  fall  upon  the  final 
pathway  of  the  Church ;  but  in  his  case  also  as  in  that  of  Peter, 
all  his  love  and  longing,  waiting  and  tribulation  are  made  sub- 
servient to  the  will  of  the  Lord,  and  this  apostle  becomes  most 
meet  of  all  to  behold  and  depict  the  visions  of  the  Revelation 
of  the  Son  of  God. 

And  in  it,  in  a  vision  of  royal  triumph,  the  seer  beholds  Him 
as  the  One  Who  was  also  the  theme  of  the  Gospel  he  wrote, 
"and  his  name  is  called  the  Word  of  God."    Rev.  19 :  13. 


n 


21 :  24-25- 
THE  CONCLUSION. 

All  the  testimony  of  this  Gospel  is  true,  and  its  things 
capable  of  ever-increasing  reproduction. 

The  faithful  and  true  witness  of  all  that  Jesus  said  and  did 
might  overfill  the  world  with  testimony  as  once  the  bread  and 
fish  Jesus  broke  might  at  His  will  have  kept  on  increasing  ever- 
more. 

"For  in  him  dwelleth  all  the  fulness  of  the  Godhead  bodily." 
Col.  1 :  6-23 ;  2 :  9 ;  Job  27 :  14 ;  Hab.  2 :  14 ;  Mark  16 :  25 ;  Ps. 
19:  4;  Rom.  10:  18. 


74 


DATE  DUE 

...riiisW' 

^a.iiii.T*' 

..^^^^-^ 

DEMCO  38-297 

Syracuse,  N.    Y. 
Stockton,   Calif. 


'0^ 


BS2615.8.E66 

An  outline  study  of  the  Gospel  according 

Princeton  Theological  Seminary-Speer  Library 


1    1012  00065  3503 


■#S^Js^ 


«^  «-i. 


1^: 


